Andy DevaneyMichael Campbell shares the opening-round lead at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship after a bogey-free 66 in Aberdeen, although even a former U.S. Open champion had to surrender the day’s best story to the seventh hole. Michael Block, Sam Little and Gary Murphy each made an ace there inside 90 minutes, a sequence so improbable it made six-under par look almost routine.
Three aces turn the seventh into Aberdeen’s liveliest address
The New Course at Trump International Golf Links did not offer much warmth on Thursday, but the par-three seventh briefly became generous to the point of suspicion.
Block began the commotion with a slam-dunk hole-in-one, the ball disappearing without troubling the putter. Little followed. Then Murphy completed the hat-trick, all within an hour and a half.
One ace is theatre. Two is a coincidence with excellent timing. Three on the same hole is the sort of thing that leaves statisticians reaching for stronger tea.
The spectacle did not alter the leaderboard, but it gave the opening round its defining image and a useful reminder that senior golf can still produce mayhem at full volume.
Campbell’s fairways-first plan delivers a flawless 66
Campbell’s own work was less chaotic and considerably more controlled. The 2005 U.S. Open champion missed only two greens, found every fairway and closed with a birdie at the par-five 18th after getting up and down from a greenside bunker.
“It was stress-free out there. I drove the ball great. I’ve been trending in the right direction over the last couple of weeks with some good golf, and my putting is better now. It’s a combination of everything really,” said Campbell, who has been searching for greater reliability with both driver and putter.
“I’ve had putting issues the last six months or so, but I’ve sorted that out through my routine and trying to visualise the putts more clearly. My driving has always been my nemesis, but I hit every fairway today and I’m feeling very comfortable out there right now.”
Links golf rarely stays stress-free for long, particularly beside the Aberdeen coast, but Campbell’s opening round had the calm shape of a player who knew exactly where the ball was going. That remains a useful trick.
Fichardt returns with unfinished business
Darren Fichardt matched Campbell’s 66 and brought a little more emotional luggage with him. He lost to Bo Van Pelt in a play-off at this championship a year ago, when a wrist problem undermined his challenge over the closing holes.
His latest round continued a strong run of form following a runner-up finish at last month’s ISPS HANDA Senior Open.
“I was very happy. It was freezing cold this morning, so I thought something around level par would be quite good. But I made a few putts, hit the ball really well and got it to seven-under before the bogey on the par three,” said Fichardt.
The South African made no attempt to disguise the appeal of another chance.
“Absolutely, there’s unfinished business. Last year with three or four holes to go my wrist packed up, so I was pushing through and hoping it was going to last – and it didn’t. So definitely unfinished business.”
Horne completes a South African double at the top
Keith Horne supplied the third 66, giving South Africa two names in the three-way share of the lead. The four-time DP World Tour winner kept trouble largely off the card and judged the greens well enough to turn a solid day into a leading one.
“I’m pretty chuffed. I played solid all day. I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t do too much wrong, didn’t get into too much trouble and I putted really well today. I didn’t miss anything I should have made and my pace on the greens was good,” said Horne.
The wind, as ever on this stretch of coast, declined to behave consistently.
“The wind was blowing and it was really tough in the beginning, so I had to be really careful. I actually think I got a bit lucky towards the end when the wind eased on the closing holes, but I’ll certainly take it.”
Good fortune is rarely refused in links golf. It is usually accepted quickly, before the weather changes its mind.
Drysdale leads the chase into round two
Patrik Sjöland and David Drysdale sit one shot back after rounds of 67, with the Scot giving the home crowd a leading interest heading into Friday. Greig Hutcheon and 2025 Order of Merit winner Scott Hend are tied for sixth on 68, while 2022 champion Adilson da Silva is eighth after a 69.
Colin Montgomerie, Stephen Gallacher and Paul Lawrie all opened with level-par rounds, leaving the three Scottish names inside the top 25 but requiring movement in round two.
Campbell, Fichardt and Horne will begin Friday with the advantage, though not much of one. On a coastal course where the wind can turn a comfortable number into a small administrative crisis, one shot is less a cushion than a polite suggestion.
Tickets remain available for the final three days. The leaderboard promises tension; the seventh has already supplied the absurdity.
On a links course built to punish optimism, one hole spent 90 minutes handing out miracles.
