Langer Holds Early Lead At U.S. Senior Open

Sammamish, WA, United States (AHN) – Bernhard Langer continued his stellar play at the U.S. Senior Open Friday. He eagled the par five 11th hole and that enabled him to post a two-under par 68 that gave him the early lead.

The start of the tournament at Sahalee Country Club was delayed for two hours due to early morning fog that surrounded the course.

Langer got out early and birdied the first hole.

“I thought, this could be great,” said the winner of last week’s Senior British Open. “Then I hit a ball in the water at the third hole.”

He made bogey there then another at the par three ninth. But he turned things around when he reached the par five 11th.

“I hit a great drive then a nice hybrid and made about a 30-footer, downhill,” is how he described his eagle three. “that was the springboard that got me going.”

He made five straight pars then birdied 17, parred 18 and finished with 68.

The closest finisher to him was Jeff Roth, a former winner of the Michigan Open. Roth shot the day’s best round, with a 66 for a 139 total.

First round leader Bruce Vaughan found trouble on his front nine and was three over through six holes.

Fred Couples and Tom Kite made moved on their first nine holes. Both were 1-under for the tournament with nine to play in the second round.

Loren Roberts was two-under with nine holes to play and amateur Tim Jackson was two-under with 10 holes left.

The difficulty of the layout had the 36-hole cut estimated at 10-over par.

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