AKRON, Ohio – Steve Stricker took the last hole for a 2-under 68 and a share of the lead on Thursday in the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, the first major of the PGA Tour Champions season.
“It didn’t hit everything that well, though. I scraped it around, got it up and down a lot,” Stricker said. “But a good score for sure.”
Jerry Kelly, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Wes Short Jr., and Rod Pampling joined Stricker at the top of the South Course rankings at Firestone Country Club, the long-standing site of a PGA Tour event and later a World Championship tournament of golf.
“I have good memories here,” Jimenez said. “I’ve played WGC tournaments many, many times here on this golf course. … The golf course is fast and it’s a great way to play on the golf course.”
Stricker had three birds and a scarecrow.
“You’re rewarded when you hit good shots and you aren’t when you hit bad shots,” said the US Ryder Cup captain. “So it’s a fair course right in front of you.”
Paul Broadhurst was the only other player to break par, pulling 69.
Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer were on par at 70 with Duffy Waldorf, Robert Karlsson and Kenny Perry.
Ernie Els overtook the pack at 71. Charles Schwab Cup leaders Brett Quigley and Vijay Singh shot 73, and defending champion Retief Goosen opened with a 75.
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