Tag: Saucon Valley

Padraig Harrington leads 2022 U.S. Senior Open; Steve Stricker is just a shot back after 36 holes

It’s setting up to be a battle of the 2021 Ryder Cup captains at the U.S. Senior Open.

It’s setting up to be a battle of the 2021 Ryder Cup captains at the U.S. Senior Open.

Padraig Harrington posted a bogey-free 65 that featured six birdies Friday to get to 6 under after two rounds and take a one-shot lead over Steve Stricker at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Stricker fired a second-round 69 despite a double-bogey 7 on his sixth hole to finish at 5 under.

Stricker and Harrington finished 1-2 at the first major on the PGA Tour Champions’ 2022 schedule at the Regions Tradition in May, but it was a runaway, six-shot win for Stricker, who led his team to a Ryder Cup rout over Harrington’s Great Britain & Ireland squad.

Maybe this time will be different for Harrington, who is seeking his first win in his 11th outing on the senior circuit.

Rob Labritz is in solo third after two days. Steven Alker, who has four wins and 17 top-10s in 20 starts since joining the Champions tour, shot a 67 to get to 3 under. He’s among a group of five golfers tied for fourth.

Also in that group is Jay Haas, who bested his age by one during Thursday’s first round. He shot a 72 on Friday. Defending U.S. Senior Open champ Jim Furyk shot a and is tied for 54th and made the cut on the number at 5 over.

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Bernhard Langer missed a cut for the first time ever on the PGA Tour Champions

In his 304th tournament on the PGA Tour Champions, Bernhard Langer accomplished a first.

Bernhard Langer joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2007. He’s amassed 43 wins on the circuit, second all time. He’s the leading money winner on the tour with $32,860,401 in on-course earnings.

But Friday, Langer, 64, achieved a first in his 304th tournament on the senior circuit.

He missed a cut.

Langer posted scores of 74-75 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, over the first two days of the U.S. Senior Open to finish at 7 over, tied for 71st. He missed the cut by two strokes and undoubtedly felt awkward driving away from the course on a Friday, knowing he won’t be back for the weekend.

It should be noted that most Champions tour events don’t have a cut. The U.S. Open, along with four other senior majors, are tournaments that do have cuts.

Langer’s opening round this week had two bogeys and a triple bogey. Friday, it was worse, as he carded four bogeys and a double bogey. He had just four birdies over two days.

The only other time Langer didn’t finish a senior event was when he had a WD in 2015 ACE Group Classic.

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Jay Haas beats his age, shares first-round lead with Mark Hensby at 2022 U.S. Senior Open

Jay Haas is the fifth player in U.S. Senior Open history to shoot or beat his age.

In April, Jay Haas became the oldest golfer to make the cut at a PGA Tour event when he teamed with son Bill at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

On Thursday, Haas had himself another day, shooting a first-round 67 and beating his age by one in the first round of the 2022 U.S. Senior Open. It’s the seventh time he’s shot his age.

He is the fifth player in U.S. Senior Open history to shoot or beat his age, joining Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Harold McSpaden and Jerry Barber.

“That’s a pretty good score to break (your age) on a course like this,” said Haas.

Mark Hensby, who won the 2004 John Deere Classic for his lone PGA Tour victory, also shot a 67 to co-lead after 18 holes.

Jim Furyk, the defending U.S. Senior Open champion, shot a 71. Steve Alker shot a 72 in his U.S. Senior Open debut.

The oldest U.S. Senior Open champion is Allen Doyle, who won the event in 2006 about two weeks before his 58th birthday.

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