Percy takes slender lead at ISPS HANDA Senior Open with opening 67
Australian holds one-shot edge over France’s Alexandre as Els and Jiménez chase closely at Gleneagles
Korea - Australia’s Cameron Percy teed off in ideal morning conditions to take a slender one-shot lead following the opening round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at The Gleneagles Hotel. The 52-year-old capitalized on benign early winds on the King’s Course, unleashing a stunning run of four consecutive birdies around the turn to sign for an opening seven-under-par 67.
Percy, who has recorded top-10 finishes at three Senior Majors since turning 50, kept his ball impeccably in play all morning. After picking up early gains at the second and third, his four-birdie blitz from the ninth vaulted him to the summit. Despite dropping his sole shot of the day on the 13th, the Australian answered immediately by driving the short par-four 14th to setup a birdie before closing his day with a final gain on the 18th.
“I drove it really good, but you have to here. I didn’t hit in the rough once, and that was really nice,” said Percy, who is making his debut at Gleneagles. “Seemed to have really good numbers, and I stopped pretty close to the hole and made a couple putts. I found something late yesterday in practice and carried it over. Hopefully I’ll keep doing that.”
France’s Lionel Alexandre sits just one stroke adrift after delivering a flawless, bogey-free six-under 64. A formidable chasing group at five-under par features four-time Major champion Ernie Els, 2018 Senior Open winner Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and American duo Tom Penrice Jr. and Pat Perez. Penrice Jr. staged the afternoon’s most dramatic surge, rebounding from an early double-bogey with four back-nine birdies and an eagle on the 14th.
“Kept it under control. I had a nice start and played the front nine quite well,” reflected Els, who matched Jiménez with a single bogey on his card. “The greens were smooth this morning, but they are tricky to read and putt. It’s a course where you’ve got to get yourself around and play the wind, so I think scoring is going to level out a bit.”
Further down the leaderboard, a five-player group including Sweden’s Johan Edfors and America’s Jerry Kelly sits at four-under par, while two-time Major champion Zach Johnson opened his Senior Open debut with a solid three-under round alongside Ryder Cup veterans Boo Weekley and David Howell.