Perry, Small share lead at Senior Players

HIGHLAND PARK, ILL. » Kenny Perry wasn’t sure what to expect. He’s still rounding back into form following shoulder surgery. His back’s bothering him, too. A spot at the top of the leaderboard in a major? He’ll take it. Perry and Mike Small shot 7-under 65s to share a onestroke lead in the first round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship on Thursday.

Bart Bryant, Glen Day and 2015 U.S. Senior Open champion Jeff Maggert were one stroke back in the fourth of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.

Defending champion Scott McCarron was in a pack at 5 under, while three-time Senior Players winner Bernhard Langer and Vijay Singh were another shot back at Exmoor Country Club. David Toms, coming off a win at the U.S. Senior Open, shot 2 over.

The 57-year-old Perry and the 52-year-old Small — the longtime Illinois golf coach — each made eight birdies and one bogey. Perry is in contention for his fifth senior major to go with two U.S. Senior Opens (2013, 2017), a Senior Players Championship (2013) and the Regions Tradition (2014).

Wheatcroft shoots 9-under

SILVIS, ILL. » Steve Wheatcroft shot a career-best 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic.

Wheatcroft birdied seven of the last nine holes to finish a shot ahead of Michael Kim. Johnson Wagner, Nick Taylor, Andres Romero and Joel Dahmen shot opening-round 64s. Francesco Molinari, who won the Quicken Loans National two weeks ago, was among a group of players three strokes back.

Crosby leads U.S. Senior Women’s Open

WHEATON, ILL. » Elaine Crosby shot a 3-under-par 70 at Chicago Golf Club for the lead after one round of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

A winner of two tournaments in 17 LPGA seasons, the 60-year-old Crosby owns a one-shot advantage over Trish Johnson, Laura Davies and Liselotte Neumann.

Suwannapura leads

SYLVANIA, OHIO » Thidapa Suwannapura shot a 6-underpar 65 to take the first-round lead at the Marathon Classic on Thursday.