Harrington Stays Tied for Lead at Senior Open with a Bogey

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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Padraig Harrington found both comfort and disappointment in managing to secure a bogey after his tee shot landed deep into the woods on the 15th hole during the opening round of the U.S. Senior Open. However, his perseverance on Thursday ensured that he maintained his position atop the leaderboard alongside Mark Hensby, both scoring 3-under 67 at the Broadmoor.

    “You don’t feel great after losing a ball, so it disrupts your focus a bit,” admitted Harrington, who was crowned champion in 2022. “You just work on getting back on track with what you’re doing.”

    Competing on this course situated at 6,000 feet above sea level at the base of Cheyenne Mountain brings its own challenges. The ball’s trajectory can be unpredictable, and the greens are challenging in ways that might not be evident to every golfer.

    Stewart Cink had a solid start by hitting his first 17 greens on a tranquil day, but concluded with a bogey on the 18th, missing for the first time. He joined six others, including Thomas Bjorn, at 68.

    “This isn’t a course where you simply make a series of birdie putts in succession, just going ‘hoop, hoop, hoop,’” explained Cink. “Some of those 20-footers had 8 to 9 feet of break, and succeeding with many of them just isn’t feasible.”

    Harrington’s birdies all occurred on the seemingly easier front nine, leading by one stroke when his tee shot veered off on the par-4 15th. The Irish golfer expressed disappointment, believing the group searched in the wrong area for his ball. Despite that, his early return to the tee box paid off as he hit the shot into deep rough, then landed the subsequent approach to within 20 feet, managing to scrape out a bogey.

    Hensby equally placed himself in good standing despite closing his round with consecutive bogeys post morning wave, resulting from errant drives.

    “I felt I let a few go there,” Hensby commented, expressing mild frustration. “It’s just annoying. I didn’t play well on the back nine, and there’s not much else to add.”

    He impressively made seven birdies on the first nine to achieve 6 under—a level of play that few might match at this course. Indeed, only 17 players finished under par out of the 156 in the field.

    The last time this tournament was held here in 2018, David Toms clinched victory with a 3-under par, highlighting the impressiveness of Hensby’s initial score.

    “My consistency has always been lacking,” confessed Hensby. “I swing between hot and cold, and it’s not ideal.”

    Many golfers, including Harrington, experienced shortened practice sessions due to a massive thunderstorm that swept through on Tuesday, leaving the course both soaked and softened. “We were fortunate today, to be honest,” noted Notah Begay, who qualified as an alternate and matched par.

    Despite these favorable conditions, the average score on Day 1 tallied at 73.94, marginally beneath the four-day average from 2018 when only a handful finished under par.

    Among those who faced difficulties was Angel Cabrera, a two-time winner in senior majors this year, who ended with a 73. Cabrera’s attempt at a 10-foot birdie on the 6th narrowly missed, leaving him visibly frustrated as he contemplated his next move. Soon after, a narrow miss with a 3-foot putt added to his challenges.

    The forecast predicts temperatures near 90 with potential rain over the next few days. The course’s altitude and neighboring mountain will persistently pose challenges to navigating the greens.

    “It’s not just about hitting accurately with the altitude, ups and downs, and rotations,” pondered Cink. “You’re continually facing challenging putts with substantial break, and they often don’t behave as expected.”