Glen Day earns share of Senior Open lead at Gleneagles despite losing clubs

Matt Smith — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 06:37:23 +0000

By Matt Smith
Unheralded American Glen Day eagled the last hole to take a share of the Senior Open lead, despite playing with a new set of clubs after his failed to arrive from the United States.

The American converted an eight-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole of the King’s Course to post a six-under round of 64 and join Stephen Ames at the top of the leaderboard at Gleneagles, following the Canadian’s bogey-free target-setter earlier in the day.

Day’s closing eagle was the final stroke of a red-hot putting performance, for which he credited countryman Wes Short Jnr following a pre-tournament putting lesson in Perthshire after a period of struggle on the greens.

The leading duo are one stroke clear of a star-studded chasing pack, including past winner Paul Broadhurst, 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke, 2020 Senior Players winner Jerry Kelly and Kent Jones, of the United States, who progressed through a play-off in Monday Qualifying to book his spot at Gleneagles.

Three-time major champ Pádraig Harrington enjoyed a positive start to his Senior Open debut with a four-under 66, leaving him in a share of seventh place alongside six others, including fellow debutant and 2010 BMW PGA Champion Simon Khan and two-time Champion Golfer of the Year Ernie Els.

“I putted great,” said Day. “I really have to, I’ve got to give some credit to Wes Short. We are staying together this week and he gave me a little putting lesson, and for the first time, I made a lot of putts today, so that was it.

“We played late obviously. No wind. Very rarely have I ever played over here, been this calm and easy. So yeah, they are there, but you have to hit good shots. If you hit good shots and make putts, good things happen.

“I have nothing with me. I didn’t even get my golf clubs. I had to get another set of clubs, and this is a new putter and a driver that I didn’t hit very well. Everything is — no. I have no reason to believe I would play good today.”

Harrington added: “I’m happy with that score. I was very tentative. I putted well and my putter saved me most of the day.”

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Glen Day earns share of Senior Open lead at Gleneagles despite losing clubs