Padraig Harrington and Peter Lawrie are both in the top 10 after opening rounds of -1 in the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie as Canadian Stephen Ames leads at -4.
Harrington is returning to the scene of his maiden major championship victory back in 2007 and was one of the pre-tournament favourites to add the Senior Open to his U.S. Senior Open title, and is hoping to make it third time lucky after runner-up finishes in his two previous tilts at the Senior Open.
A single birdie and single bogey on his outward nine were followed by three birdies and two dropped shots on the back, but he was reasonably satisfied with his day’s work.
“Yeah, okay with it. I think I played well at times out there, and then I struggled the last couple of holes and made some good saves on 16 and 17,” said Harrington who made the ideal start with a birdie on the first before mixing birdies on 10, 12 and 14 with bogeys on 8, 11 and 15.
“I think 71 is fine. It’s well in there. I’d like to play a little bit better for rest of the week but actually probably playing the same will be fine.”
Lawrie, who turned 50 earlier this year, is playing in his first seniors major championship and got off to a blistering start as he recorded three birdies in his first five holes and, playing in the second group of the day, was all alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Unfortunately, three bogeys over the following four holes would see him turn at level-par, but a birdie on 12 – his only deviation from par on the back side – saw him become the first player to reach the clubhouse in red figures. He’d end the day tied for seventh alongside his fellow Dubliner.
2022 Senior Open winner Darren Clarke opened with a two-over 74, while fellow Northerner Cameron Clark, who is based at Moor Hall Golf Club in England and advanced through Qualifying earlier this week, birdied the last to recover from a bogey-bogey start to join namesake Darren on +2. Meanwhile, it was a disappointing start for Paul McGinley who sits five shots off the provisional cutline at +8.
Ames, an eight time PGA Champions Tour winner and eight time Senior Major top-10 finisher made five birdies with just the solitary bogey to take first round leader honours ahead of the four-strong pack a shot back at -3 of K.J. Choi, Peter Baker, Richard Green and Paul Broadhurst.
“I do enjoy it,” Ames said of the challenge of links golf. “Over the years playing The European Tour, and coming over here and playing the British Opens, it’s always been a tough battle to be able to adapt.
“I have done my pre-warm up by coming here a week early and playing a lot of links golf, so I’ve enjoyed that week, also. And then coming into this event, so it’s been fun so far.”
Scott Hend sits alone in sixth at -2, with Lawrie and Harrington among the dozen tied for seventh.