Senior Leads Champions Tour Event


Peter Senior opened with a 7-under 65 to take the opening-round lead in the inaugural Hawaii Championship. The $1.8 million, 54-hole Champions Tour event began Friday Kopolei Golf Course.

Senior, a 53-year-old Australian in search of his first victory in America, carded seven birdies to forge a one-stroke lead over Jay Don Blake and Bill Glasson. Blake won the previous Champions Tour event, the Boeing Classic three weeks ago.

Senior hopes this is the week for his first victory after 65 starts and three years on the over-50 circuit. ''It'd be nice to have a win,'' Senior said. ''I've come close.

''It was a good hitting round and I putted extremely well for the first 15 holes,'' he added. ''I wish it was that easy every day. I drove it well, which sets up this course. You've got to be coming from the fairway on a lot of your iron shots to get a little bit of spin. These are exactly the same conditions I play in every day at home. The wind comes up in the afternoon.''

Posting 67s were Mark McNulty and Eduardo Romero, while another stroke back were Duffy Waldorf, Willie Wood and Charles Schwab Cup leader Tom Lehman. Shooting 69s were Tom Purtzer, Gary McCord, Tom Kite, Bob Gilder, David Frost, Corey Pavin and Dick Mast.

After turning 50 on August 28, two-time PGA Tour winner Rick Fehr made his Champions Tour debut and was among eight players shooting 2-under 70s.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/s/leaderboard.