Senior leads by 1 in Hawaii
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Peter Senior fired a 7-under 65 on Friday to grab a 1-stroke lead after the opening round of the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship.
Senior, who has eight top-10 finishes this season, is searching for his first win on the Champions Tour.
Jay Don Blake, who won the Boeing Classic three weeks ago, carded a 6-under 66 and was joined in second place by Bill Glasson.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mark McNulty and Eduardo Romero are one stroke back at minus-5 at Kapolei Golf Course. Tom Lehman, who leads the race for the Charles Schwab Cup, is one of three players tied for sixth at 4-under 68.
Senior started with birdies on the 11th and 12th. After a pair of pars, he birdied the 15th from six feet out. Senior made the turn at minus-4 after making a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th.
The Australian followed with birdies on one and two to make it three in a row. Senior got to 7-under with a birdie on the par-4 fourth. He parred the final five holes to end there.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I drove it very well, which sets up a lot of shots here and I putted well, especially the first 12 holes," Senior stated. "I probably putted as well as I have all year."
Blake did all of his scoring in one 8-hole stretch. Like Senior, Blake started on No. 10 and he parred his first two holes. Blake got going with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th.
The 3-time winner on the Champions Tour dropped in back-to-back birdie efforts at 14 and 15. Blake poured in three straight birdie tries from the 17th to jump into second place at 6-under. He closed with eight consecutive pars to end one back.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The wind seemed to change today at times. Shots from the rough were kind of difficult with the wind," said Blake. "That was a good round of golf today."
Glasson, who has six top-10 finishes this season, birdied the 10th to start his round. He also birdied the 14th and 16th to make the turn at 3-under.
After six pars in a row, Glasson birdied the par-3 fifth. He moved into a share of second with an eagle on the par-5 seventh.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: Michael Allen, who tops the tour's money list, stumbled to a 1-over 73 that left him tied for 53rd...Hale Irwin, who has nine wins on the Champions Tour in Hawaii, struggled to a 2-over 74 and is tied for 60th.