PEABODY – (Radio & Photos) After the first round of the 38th U.S. Open Senior Open Kirk Triplett (62) has a one shot lead over Olin Browne (63). Doug Garwood (64) is in third place while five golfers are shot (-5) 65s. All leaders are interviewed on MSO – Check additional posts. Player notes are posted below.
2017 U.S. Senior Open Leader Board Click Here
Kirk Triplett – Scottsdale, Arizona – 62 (-8) Media Conference – Course Record – Ties USGA Record Lowest Sr Open Round
Kirk Triplett plays his tee shot on the eighth hole during the first round of the 2017 U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass. on Thursday, June 29, 2017. (Copyright USGA/Jeff Haynes)
Olin Browne – Hobe Sound, Florida – 63 (-7) Media Conference – 9 Birdies
Doug Garwood – Chatsworth, California – 64 (-6) Media Conference
Tom Lehman – Scottsdale, Arizona – 65 (-5) Media Conference
Duffy Waldorf – New Smyrna Beach Floriday – 65 (-5) Media Conference
Kirk Triplett’s 8-under 62 ties Loren Roberts (2006, third round) for the lowest score in USGA Open championship history. Triplett made six birdies and one eagle – holing his 115-yard approach for eagle with a 9-iron on the par-4 fourth hole.
During the first round of the 2001 U.S. Senior Open at Salem C.C., there was one sub-par score – Bruce Fleisher shot 69. There were 27 sub-par scores in that entire championship. This year, there were 40 scores of par or better in the first round alone. That breaks the record for most sub-par scores in any round in the U.S. Senior Open. The previous record was 39 during the second round at Inverness Club in 2011.
In the first round, there were nine rounds of 65 or better. That is the most in any round in a U.S. Senior Open. Previously, the record was four, set multiple times, most recently in the final round of the 2013 championship at Omaha Country Club.
Jeff Sluman’s five consecutive birdies (Nos. 10-14) ties a U.S. Senior Open record shared by nine others. It was most recently accomplished by Jeff Maggert in 2015 at Del Paso Country Club.
There were six bogey-free rounds on Thursday: Scott Verplank, Barry Lane, Kirk Triplett, Roger Chapman, Duffy Waldorf and Jeff Roth, who parred all 18 holes.
Only Roger Chapman birdied the 481-yard par-4 second hole on Thursday. It was the most difficult hole on the course, playing to a stroke average of 4.51.
Eight of the top nine players on the leaderboard scored as well or better on the back nine. Only Duffy Waldorf scored lower on the front nine.
Waldorf aced the 136-yard third hole with a pitching wedge in the first round. It is the 19th hole-in-one in the U.S. Senior Open. The group of Waldorf, Triplett (birdie) and Billy Andrade (birdie) combined to play the third hole in five strokes.
Olin Browne’s nine birdies tied a U.S. Senior Open record, held by multiple competitors. Kenny Perry accomplished the feat most recently in the fourth round of the 2013 championship in Omaha.
At 499 yards, the 17th hole at Salem C.C. is the sixth-longest par 4 in the U.S. Senior Open.
Hale Irwin (2-over, 72) shot his age in the first round. It is the third time he shot his age in the U.S. Senior Open. He shot a 70 in the first round of the 2015 championship at Del Paso C.C. and a 66 in the third round of the 2011 championship at Inverness Club.
