Andy DevaneySteven Alker rolled back the years — and a few eyeballs — with a clinical seven-under-par 63 on the Old Course at Sunningdale to seize the opening-round lead at the ISPS HANDA Senior Open.
The New Zealander, who seems to be ageing in reverse, is chasing his second Senior Major title, and based on Thursday’s performance, he’s doing so with the swagger of a man who’s just found his car keys and the fairway.
Alker, the reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion, made the most of pristine conditions with six birdies and an eagle — a round so tidy it could have passed for an ad for Swiss housekeeping.
The 52-year-old now holds a one-shot advantage over Australia’s Mark Hensby, who fired an equally spirited 64 that included a blistering front nine of 29 strokes.
“I got off to a hot start and kept the ball in play, gave myself a lot of chances,” Alker said. “This place is all about placement off the tee, and I felt I managed that well today.”
To say Alker’s been in form is a bit like saying Jack Nicklaus has a decent record at Augusta. With nine PGA TOUR Champions titles under his belt — the most recent coming at the Cologuard Classic in March — he’s quickly turned into the kind of Senior Open threat that makes leaderboard writers reach for fresh ink.
As for Hensby, the Aussie showed flashes of his early-2000s brilliance, including the kind of front-nine birdie blitz that leaves playing partners nodding in admiration or quietly reconsidering their putter choices. He bounced back from a bogey at 12 with a birdie at the 14th, showing plenty of steel to match the sizzle.
Defending champion K.J. Choi wasn’t far behind either, sharing third at four-under with Joe Durant. Choi, who etched his name in the history books last year as the first South Korean to win a Senior Major Championship, is proving that lightning can indeed strike twice — provided you’ve still got your swing and a bit of Seoul.
Five-time Champions winner Durant kept pace with Choi, his 66 a picture of calm precision — no fireworks, just a craftsman at work.
Meanwhile, a logjam of heavyweight names sits two shots further back at three-under. That group includes Major champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Pádraig Harrington — a trio you wouldn’t want chasing you down a back nine — as well as 2018 Senior Open winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, who remains golf’s finest combination of finesse and flamboyance.
With names like these lurking and the Old Course revealing just enough of its teeth, the stage is set for a cracking weekend at Sunningdale.
As the Senior Open gathers steam, Alker’s out front — but if history tells us anything, the back nine on Sunday might have a few tales of its own to tell.
