A game: Stephen Ames, Billy Andrade tied for lead at U.S. Senior Open

Stephen Ames posted a 65 in the morning wave. Billy Andrade matched it late at Omaha Country Club on Thursday.

Stephen Ames posted a 65 in the morning wave at the 41st U.S. Open. Late in the day, Billy Andrade matched it and those two co-leaders will take a one-shot lead into Friday’s second round.

Andrade had five birdies and was bogey-free on Thursday. Ames had two bogeys but carded seven birdies, including four on the back nine.

Wes Short, Jr., also went bogey-free and he is in solo third, a shot back.

Alex Cejka, who didn’t play the Senior Players but won the first two majors of 2021, sits in a tie for fourth with Robert Karlsson after shooting each shot a 67. Cejka has now posted his ninth consecutive round of par or better in a major this year.

U.S. Senior Open: Leaderboard

Jay Haas, the oldest golfer in the field at age 67, shot a 69 on Thursday. Fred Couples shot a 1 under as well. Those two are among a group of eight golfers tied for eighth.

“I tied a 67-year-old man, so I’m tickled pink,” Couples, 61, joked on Golf Channel after his round.

There are 34 amateurs in the field. Two of them, William Mitchell and Jeff Wilson, posted even-par rounds of 70 and are T-16 after day one.

Omaha Country Club is hosting the U.S. Senior Open for a second time. Kenny Perry, who won the event there in 2013, is tied for 29th after shooting a 1-over 71.

There is a chance of some inclement weather rolling through the area on Friday.

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Primland resort in Virginia conducts auction to benefit employees

Primland will conduct an online auction of experiences to raise money for employees who are out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Primland, a Blue Ridge Mountain resort in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, will conduct an online auction of experiences to raise money for employees who are out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Primland is home to the Highlands Course, ranked No. 2 in Virginia on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access tracks. The Donald Steel-designed course also ranks No. 32 on Golfweek’s Best list of top resort layouts.

The auction began on April 15 and runs through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. All of the proceeds go to an employee relief fund, as the resort is closed through May 20.

Among the experiences up for auction are 12 rounds of golf at Primland, two spots in the Jay Haas Skills Challenge on August 8 and a foursome for golf in a private round with Haas.

Other experiences include spa getaways, five-night mountain escapes and several outdoorsy trips.

In addition to the auction, Primland has been donating school lunches through two local elementary schools, as well as donating pheasants and boxes of vegetables to staff and the community.

“Most of our team comes from the local communities; we’ve always been committed to uplifting our area and its people,” said Primland vice president Steve Helms.

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