Bernhard Langer two off the lead at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship

Bernhard Langer remains in a strong position to defend his Champions Tour season points title, despite dropping from the lead at the second round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The 58-year-old was top of the leaderboard after an opening round 63 on Desert Mountain's Cochise Course, but could only follow that up with a two-under 68 as Michael Allen moved in to a two-stroke lead.

Langer, who came in to this week third in the points standings behind pacesetter Colin Montgomerie and Senior Open champion Jeff Maggert, birdied three of his opening four holes before carding a three-putt bogey at the seventh.

After restoring his lead with a gain at the ninth, the two-time Masters champion bogeyed the 12th after failing to get up-and-down from the rough and missed a eight-foot par save at the 17th before finishing with a gain at the last.

"Things just didn't go my way," Langer said. "I think 68 is most of the time a great score, just not necessarily today for me when I had that start, 3 under after four. I really had it going."

Allen, without a win this year, was left frustrated after being warned for slow play but picked up five shots over his final six holes to post a six-under 64.

Having chipped in at the short 13th and post a two-putt gain at the par-five 15th, Allen posted a ten-foot birdie at the 17th before moving in to the outright lead by sinking a 30-foot eagle the last.

Champions Tour Golf

"It was just a little bit lucky," Allen said about the final putt. "I knew it wouldn't break quite as much, at least I thought it wouldn't, but it was really hard to see with the sun in my eyes.

"I was just trying to get the right speed because when the sun's in your eyes like that, you can sometimes hit it a little hard and kind of lose it a little bit. I was happy it was really close, but it went in."

Montgomerie sits nine off the lead in a tie for 18th after a two-under 68, while Maggert sits in the group a further stroke adrift.