PARKER, Colo. — Tom Kite doesn't mind that the thin air, hilly terrain and erratic wind gusts at the Colorado Golf Club conspire to favor the younger golfers on the senior circuit.

Kite still considers himself a whippersnapper after celebrating his 60th birthday in December, a point that's hard to argue as he sits in second place halfway through the 71st Senior PGA Championship, a single stroke behind Fred Couples.

Couples shot a 4-under 68 on Friday, putting him at 7 under after 36 holes. He had the best round of the day despite teeing off in the afternoon, when the winds picked up after a lull.

Tom Lehman (71) is two strokes behind Couples, and Lu Chien-soon (70) and Jay Don Blake (69) are tied for fourth, three shots back.

Bernhard Langer, the co-leader along with Robin Freeman after the first round, was making an impressive charge on the back nine until a double-bogey on No. 17 and a bogey on 18 left him with a 3-over 75, same as Freeman.

They are tied with Nick Price (71), four shots off the pace.

All those familiar names had Couples hearkening back to the 1990s when this group of golfers made a name for themselves on the PGA Tour.

"It's a great leaderboard, that's for sure," Couples said. "A lot of great players."

Kite is aiming for one of golf's true rarities, winning a tournament in his 60s. Of the 915 tournaments in Champions Tour history, only 18 have been won by hexagenerians.

"I have that as a goal," Kite said after a 69 moved him to 6 under.