Stephen Ames carded a 4-under-par 68 to seize a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Senior Open on Thursday in Carnoustie, Scotland.
Ames recorded five birdies against one bogey during his round at Carnoustie Golf Links.
The 60-year-old Canadian is seeking his third win of the calendar year — he won the Chubb Classic in February and the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April — and join Ernie Els for the most victories by a Champions Tour player this season.
Ames is bidding for his ninth win on the Champions Tour and first major.
“Well, hit the ball nicely,” Ames said of his round. “Hit some good shots and I missed a lot of putts out there, unfortunately, for birdies. But I think overall, the pace of play kind of hindered us a little bit coming down at the end there. So that kind of threw me off-balance.
“But I think overall this is a good test here this week for us. So I quite enjoyed the 68.”
Ames holds a one-shot lead over the quartet of South Korean K.J. Choi, Australian Richard Green and England’s Peter Baker and Paul Broadhurst.
Broadhurst lamented a brief lapse in concentration on the seventh hole, resulting in a failed tap-in.
“My balance wasn’t quite right, and I sort of pulled out of it,” Broadhurst said. “Putter went past the ball — and went past it. I checked with the referee. I had made a legitimate attempt at it but I sort of went back and didn’t get to the ball. So I had to call that.”
Australian Scott Hend is alone in sixth place at 2-under after a spirited surge over his final seven holes. He chipped in for an eagle on the 12th hole and recorded birdies on Nos. 14-15 and 18 to offset a bogey on No. 16.
Padraig Harrington, a two-time runner-up who fell to Alex Cejka in the playoff last year, carded a 1-under 71 and sits in a congested tie for seventh place.
“Yeah, OK with it,” Harrington said of his round. “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. I think 71 is fine. It’s well in there.”
–Field Level Media