NEWPORT, RI – Richard Green and Hiroyuki Fujita shot 7-under 63 at the US Senior Open on Thursday, using a light morning breeze to attack Newport Country Club’s beach course and pull a stroke ahead of local favorite Billy Andrade. .
Andrade, a native Rhode Islander, shot a 64 in difficult afternoon conditions, the wind was 15-25 mph when he left the mouth of Narragansett Bay at 2pm. On Friday at 8:24 am, he can use the cool air and soft greens that benefit the first teams in the first round.
“It was noon and the wind was blowing well,” Andrade said. “Maybe tomorrow we’ll be lucky and it won’t blow too much. But I like that it’s windy. It suits me perfectly when the conditions are like this.”
Stephen Ames was fourth at 65. Ten players shot 66. Among them: Former Senior Open champions Steve Stricker, Jeff Maggert and Padraig Harrington, and England’s Lee Westwood, who was making his first over-50 tour a week after finishing third at LIV. Golf event outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
“We were a little bit easy – there was no wind at least the first, or whatever, ten holes,” said Alex Cejka, who teed off at 8:34 a.m. and is among the 66-year-olds. “It used to be a bonus nine. At least now it’s a regular 15, 20. It’s tricky out there, but it happens when you hit good shots.”
Fujita has won 18 times on the Japan Tour but had never shot in the 60s in the past four PGA Tour Champions. He had five birdies on the front nine and two on the back in a bogey-free round.
Green made the turn with three straight birdies and nearly closed his way to No. 18 in the eagle. Instead, the left-handed Australian chipped in for birdie to match Fujita at 7 under.
Andrade was 4 under after 15 holes before birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.
“When you go into these things, you don’t want to embarrass yourself. You don’t want to make a lot of bogeys and fight your game and all that stuff,” said Andrade, who was a gallery favorite throughout the round.
“Just a beautiful, incredible, amazing day at a course that I absolutely love. I just love it here. I love everything about it. I loved it as a little boy, and I love it now.”
Defending champion Bernhard Langer shot a 70.
San Diego’s Mark Strickland was the low-round novice with a 71, good for a 64.
The tournament is a make-up for the 2020 US Senior Open, which was scheduled for Newport, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The club is one of five founding members of the USGA, and hosted the first national championship, the 1895 US Amateur.
The USGA hosted its 1,000th championship this month when the US Open was held at Pinehurst No. 2. Grandstands decorated with No.
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