Rod Pampling leads U.S. Senior Open by 2 strokes after 1st round

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Retief Goosen obtained proper to the purpose after the primary spherical of the U.S. Senior Open at punishing SentryWorld.

“You bought to hit the fairways, in any other case, you have obtained no shot,” the two-time U.S. Open champion mentioned Thursday after a 1-under 70 that left him tied for second, two strokes behind Rod Pampling.

Defending champion Steve Stricker — from Madison, about 100 miles to the south — had two double bogeys in a 72 that ended his PGA Tour Champions document for consecutive rounds of par or higher at 55.

“It is a difficult place, however I hung in there,” Stricker mentioned. “One over just isn’t a nasty rating. I simply want a great one tomorrow.”

Enjoying within the morning on the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course with deep, thick tough, Pampling had seven birdies, a double bogey and two bogeys in a 68. The common rating was 77.32.

The tough sort of lays again into you, so you actually cannot get the membership on the ball.” Pampling mentioned. “It is fairly troublesome to evaluate. Hopefully, will not be doing that too many occasions.”

The 53-year-old Australian has one Champions victory — the 2021 Boeing Basic — after successful 3 times on the PGA Tour.

Goosen, the 54-year-old South African who received the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2004, had 5 birdies and 4 bogeys in his afternoon spherical.

“The tough right here is sort of a regular U.S. Open,” Goosen mentioned. “The three lies I had, there was no probability I might even get close to the inexperienced. Even on No. 8, I used to be 90 yards from the entrance edge. I hit a sand wedge as onerous as I might, and it most likely carried 40.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez and College of Illinois golf coach Mike Small matched Goosen at 70.

“It is truthful. It is good,” Jimenez mentioned. “The ball is good, they’re holding good and fairways additionally holding effectively. It is superb check.”

The 57-year-old Small, Stricker’s former Illini teammate, had six birdies, three bogeys and a closing double bogey.

“I’ve discovered to not take this too severely,” Small mentioned. “It isn’t the tip of the world for me anymore. It isn’t like I have to hold a card on any tour anymore or something.”

Bernhard Langer, the 65-year-old Champions profession victory chief, was at 71 with Ernie Els, David Toms, Jerry Kelly, Jeff Maggert, Bob Sowards, James Kingston, Richard Green, Adilson da Silva and Ken Tanigawa. Langer stayed out of the tough.

“Thank goodness I wasn’t in it,” Langer mentioned. “I am unable to discuss a lot about it, however I attempted to hit just a few photographs within the observe rounds and it’s totally punishing.”

Kelly is also from Madison.

“I am actually blissful the way in which I battled,” Kelly mentioned. “I wasn’t feeling the most effective. I often do not chew on Advil, however I needed to immediately.”

Defending champion Padraig Harrington opened with a 74. Coming off a victory Sunday within the Champions occasion in New York, the Irishman had three birdies, a double bogey and 4 bogeys.

“Does not your mom all the time let you know you are going to have days like this, actually a wrestle to focus,” mentioned Harrington, the winner final 12 months at Saucon Valley in Pennsylvania.

Stricker, the 2019 winner at Notre Dame in Indiana, received the primary two senior majors of the 12 months and took the American Household Insurance coverage Championship three weeks in the past in Madison for his fourth victory of the season. He had the double bogeys on the par-5 tenth and par-3 twelfth.

“Up in opposition to a tree in a divot and buried lie within the bunker,” Stricker mentioned. “That did not sit effectively with me, and it sort of affected most likely the subsequent couple of holes. Then, hit a poor shot at 12, and that was sort of a wakeup name to get my head again within the sport.”

Trip Kuehne, taking part in his first USGA championship since successful the 2007 U.S. Mid-Novice, topped the 23 amateurs at 75.