Triplett shares Sr. British Open lead
Winegardner top sectional finisher in qualifying for U.S. Senior Amateur tournament
American Kirk Triplett and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand shot 7-under 65s Thursday to lead the Senior British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland by one stroke after the opening round but both will be keeping a close eye on defending champion Bernhard Langer.
Long the dominant figure in over-50s golf, Langer arrived at St. Andrews as the man to beat. And not much has changed.
While Langer’s 5-under 67 wasn’t the best score over the Old Course, the German’s lofty presence on the leaderboard will have the attention of every other contender.
Langer is tied for fifth alongside former PGA champion David Toms and another American, Scott McCarron, with the trio one shot behind former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and Canadian Stephen Ames.
As many as 16 players shot 68 or less, a figure that almost included 68-year old Tom Watson, on a bright and breezy day. U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying: Tom Winegardner, from Lothian and Old South Country Club, carded a 1-under-par 70 to win the medal in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur championship at the Elkridge Club.
Mike McCarthy, from Bethesda, followed at 71, while a three-for-two playoff at 72 went to Buddy Patch, Fairfax Station, Va., and Lee Flemister, Rockville. The Kirk Triplett of United States hits from the first tee during the first round of the Senior British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland on Thursday. He shares the first-round lead. alternates are Joe Lefavor, Odenton, and Mike Hudak, Phoenix, in Baltimore County.
The championship will be played Aug. 26-30 in Eugene, Ore. Thompson taking break: Lexi Thompson is skipping the Women’s British Open to take a few weeks off to recharge her emotions.
Thompson says in an Instagram post that events from the last year-and-a-half have taken a “tremendous toll” mentally and emotionally. The Women’s British Open starts Aug. 2 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Thompson says she will be back to defend her title at the Indy Women in Tech Championship on Aug. 16.
The American was penalized four shots in the final round of the ANA Inspiration in 2017 for replacing her golf ball in the wrong spot. Because the violation occurred in the third round, she was docked an additional two shots for signing an incorrect scorecard. The scorecard penalty has since been changed.
She also revealed that her mother has been battling cancer, and Thompson announced last November that her mother was cancer-free. Canadian Open: Robert Garrigus made a birdie after a rock saved his ball from water and had a one-stroke lead at 9-under 63 when first-round play in the RBC Canadian Open was suspended Thursday because of high wind and potential lightning strikes. The 40-year-old Garrigus won his lone PGA Tour title in 2010. He made five straight birdies on Nos. 2-6, then birdied four of the last six holes — three of them par 5s.
PGA Tour rookie Adam Schenk was second. He birdied the first five and last three. Ladies Scottish Open: Tiffany Joh credited her “hot putter” as she shot a career-best 9-under 62 at the Ladies Scottish Open to take a four-shot lead after Thursday’s first round.
“I pretty much kept it in play and putted amazing, that’s the only way I could describe it today,” said the 31-year-old American, who opened and finished her round with birdies.
In-Kyung Kim, Amy Yang and Jenny Shin all shot 66 to share a three-way South Korean tie for second place at Gullane Golf Club.
Seven-time LPGA winner Kim called it “a tough course but I think it suits my game.”