Australian Richard Green will be aiming for success at the third attempt after continuing his outstanding form at the major senior golf championships.
Green is in the top three after the first round for the third time in as many senior majors after finishing one point behind the leaders with a three-under-par 67 at the Kaulig Companies Championship in Akron, Ohio, on Thursday.
Although the 53-year-old left-hander from Victoria has not yet won a single Champions Tour, he has been on the verge of a big breakthrough in the over-50 age group for weeks.
He finished third at last month’s US Senior Open after being tied for the lead after the first round, and second at the Senior PGA Championship a month earlier after also being tied for first after the first day.
Green is a three-time winner of the regular European Tour and has never missed a cut in his 14 starts on the Champions Tour this season.
Defending champion Steve Stricker and Duffy Walfdorf lead the Kaulig Companies Championship after shooting rounds of 66 at Firestone Country Club. Green is tied for third with Kenny Perry.
Close behind with two under 68 are New Zealander Steven Alker, Argentinian Angel Cabrera, Steve Flesch, Tim O’Neal and Paul Stankowski.
Australians Mark Hensby and Cameron Percy scored 69 points, while Michael Wright scored 70. Steve Allan, Rod Pampling and Stuart Appleby all had 72 points, Greg Chalmers a 73 and John Senden a 75.
The 57-year-old Stricker has not yet won a PGA Tour Champions title this year, but already has 17 titles to his name, including seven major titles.
He also won the Senior Players in 2021 and finished runner-up in 2022 before winning his second title at Firestone in 2023.
“I’m very confident about being here and I’m enjoying it,” said Stricker.
“I know pretty much how to play the course. I’ve experienced a lot of different wind conditions and degrees of hardness here. … I think it’s all about controlling my game. I try to get good swings and good putts.”
Waldorf, 61, is chasing his first senior major title and his first ever PGA Tour Champions victory since 2016.
with AAP