Stricker, Toms top Senior Open

Steve Stricker made his U.S. Senior Open debut with an eagle on the 17th hole to finish with an 8under-par 62 and a shire of the first-round lead with defending champion David Toms on a soft Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Toms set a U.S. Senior Open record with 10 birdies, finishing with four in a row for a 29 on the back nine.

Stricker, coming off a playoff loss last week in the American Family Insurance Championship, played in the afternoon and rolled in a 35-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 17th hole. He narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Jerry Kelly, who won on the PGA Tour Champions event last week, and Kirk Triplett were at 64, one shot ahead of a group that included Vijay Singh.

In other news:

• Nate Lashley birdied the final three holes and five of the last six for a 9-under-par 63 and the first-round lead in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the PGA Tour’s first event in Detroit. Lashley, 36, had the lowest score in his PGA Tour career a day after land a spot in the tournament at Detroit Golf Club as an alternate. He is ranked 353rd in the world and No. 132 in the FedEx Cup standings. Ryan Armour and Nick Watney are at stroke back at 64. Chez Reavie, the Travelers Championship winner last week in Connecticut; Charles Howell III and Stewart Cink topped the group at 65. Dustin Johnson, the secondranked player in the world, opened with a 71. Gary Woodland had a 73 in his first start since winning the U.S. Open.