U.S. Senior Open Day 3 – This time it’s serious

All three leaders will play together for second straight day

By Jim Bebbington

Once more, with feeling.

After 18 lightning-delayed holes on Saturday the last-group leaders – Stewart Cink, Padgraig Harrington and Mark Hensby – all finished at 8-under par, remained tied and set up an epic Sunday battle for the championship.

The three will be paired again for the second straight day on Sunday.

“The history of this course means a lot to me and the fact that it’s just a good old test of golf that’s hosted a lot of big tournaments and it’s produced great winners…,” Cink said afterward. “It would be great to join that list. I think even more importantly though to claim a USGA championship, a senior open. It feels like a really big tournament. I love the energy of the crowd and it’s a really sporty golf course and we’re having fun out there.”

Hensby, Cink and Harrington began the day tied at 6-under. The lead changed repeatedly between the three throughout the day but none of the rest of the field of 64 came near cracking the top lineup except for Thomas Bjorn. Bjorn was briefly tied for third on the front nine, and finished a 7-under, a definite threat to win on Sunday.

Hensby dropped back in the first five holes, but said afterward he knew he needed to just play his game and he would be in a position to win.

“Listen, when you get two great players like that who start off as well as they did, especially Padraig, you kind of expect it to a certain extent,” he said. “But I just felt like I’ve just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens. Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks.”

Harrington chipped in on the 18th to the roar of the crowd to rejoin his group at 8-under.

“There was great momentum in the group,” he said. “… we seemed to be happy for each other making birdies and getting going and moving forward, which is kind of important in the group.”

Despite the momentum swings between the three, Harrington said he’s in a position to win Sunday and that’s what matters.

“Obviously we would have all liked if we got a little bit more under, but it did get tricky there with that wind start swirling around, and I certainly lost a bit of trust on the green,” he said. “It was tough coming home, so it was a nice bonus for me. It’s nice to be, as I said to the three lads, we could have taken the day out and just gone out as the three leaders tomorrow.”

The weather on Sunday is expected again to play a role. There was another 40-minute weather delay Saturday. The Sunday rounds were moved up with groups starting on both 1 and 10 beginning at 7 a.m. The leaders are scheduled to go off on 1 at 8:50 a.m. Sunday.

Harrington said being in a position to compete for the championship on Sunday is all anyone can ask for.

“That’s why we do it,” he said. “That’s why we play the game at this age of our life. We still like the idea of competing and hitting great shots. In some ways, when you’re playing out here on the Seniors, you’re reliving your past glories, and you hit some great shots that you once hit as a junior, and it feels good…. But the whole thing of playing out here is for that thrill again.”

Jim Bebbington is the Director of Content at Colorado AvidGolfer and can be reached at [email protected]

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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