In the first round of the Senior Open, hosted by Rolex at Carnoustie, the 52-year-old Dublin-born Pádraig Harrington’s performance reflected the difficult nature of the links he often refers to as daunting. Posting a first round score of 71, he found himself trailing three strokes behind Stephen Ames. Ames, born in Trinidad and Tobago but now residing in Canada and playing under dual nationalities, produced the day’s standout performance with a skilfully crafted four-under-par 68, boasting five birdies and only a single bogey on the challenging 16th.
Alongside Harrington was another Dubliner, Peter Lawrie. Lawrie, who recently turned 50 in March and was competing in his inaugural senior Major, matched Harrington’s first round score of 71, putting both golfers in contention for the championship.
Revisiting the links that gave him his first Claret Jug victory back in 2007, one of his three Majors, Harrington — a two-time runner-up in this championship — managed to score four birdies but also recorded three bogeys. Commenting on his performance, Harrington stated, “There were moments I played well, then struggled towards the end, but made good recoveries on the 16th and 17th holes. 71 is a pretty decent score and I’m hoping to improve in the following rounds.” He added, reflecting on the challenges at Carnoustie, “The course intimidates you. It’s tough, full of defensive shots. There are pitfalls lurking everywhere.”
Appearing in his first Senior Open, Lawrie also tallied four birdies and three bogeys. He had a strong start, with birdies on the 2nd, 4th and 5th holes putting him three under. However, he later faltered with consecutive bogeys on the 6th and 7th holes, and another on the 9th, resulting in an even par at the turn.
Lawrie recovered with a birdie on the 12th, registering one under par. He held his position in the top ten with a seamless succession of six pars. Darren Clarke, the victor of 2022, started with a two-over-par 74. Clarke had pipped Harrington by a solitary stroke in the previous championship.
At the Challenge Tour held at Galgorm Castle, the Black Desert NI Open was beset by stormy weather. Despite the interruptions, Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren seized the lead in the first round with a score of 63.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Séamus Power is focusing on securing his standing within the top 70 in the FedEx Cup rankings, where his current ranking is 66. He initiated with a two-under-par 69 in the 3M Open held at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota. The top position in the clubhouse was clinched by Mackenzie Hughes of Canada, who played impressively, scoring a 64.