Colorado Springs, Colorado – Mark Hensby did seven birdies in the first nine holes on Thursday at the US Senior Open, and even after the Greens of the Broadmoor and the major champion conditions caught up with him, he left the course with the first first round.
The Australian ended the day at 3 under 67, good for an advance on a blow on Bob Estes, Thomas Bjorn and three others with the morning bullets ending and the afternoon wave having struck the course.
Miguel Angel Jimenez was part of a group of six who drew 69.
It was Hensby who spent the whole morning at the head, although after having signed his dashboard, he barely looked like a player winning the US Open.
“Obviously, I felt like I was losing it there,” he said. “It’s just frustrating. I played the nine from the back as (explained). What can you say else? “
Hensby finished with a pair of Bogeys, each coming after discs that missed the fairway and landed in rough that is thick – but no thick oakmont, and not the biggest problem of this course nestled at the base of the Cheyenne mountain.
“There is so much slope, and everything comes out of the mountain – most of the time,” said Hensby. “Sometimes this is not the case. But the Greens were softer today, so it made things a little easier, and probably not as fast than they can get it.”
A large storm on Tuesday threw water everywhere on the course, but dry conditions are expected for the weekend. When the tournament was played for the last time here in 2018, David Toms won with a score of 3 sous.
Hensby reached 6 sous after having sorted on the ninth by 5 – traditionally one of the easier holes. It would not be surprising that he was the first and last player to reach this issue.
“The most important thing is the Greens,” said Shane Bertsch, originally from Denver nearby who was part of the group at 1 sous. “The Greens are very, very serious. You cannot pick up putts. You always guess a little because of the whole break of the mountains and everything.”
