Cameron Percy shot a five-under 67 to lead some of the world’s biggest names after the first round of the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional.
Keith Horne (68) is second while fellow South Africans Ernie Els (69) and Darren Fichardt are another shot back along with Simon Khan and Mario Tiziani.
It is the second straight major for the seniors after Angel Cabrera’s victory Monday in the delayed Regions Tradition.
Players dealt with wet conditions on a rainy day, but Percy was in one of the last groups to finish, and by then the sun was shining from one direction and a rainbow was forming in another.
The 51-year-old Percy also hurt his back recently.
“We’re all old now, so it’s pretty stiff,” he said. “On Sunday it was so wet and I slipped on a rock and made a mess of myself. I’ve been in the physio Monday, Tuesday for a good hour, hour and a half and then yesterday for another hour. I’m pretty sore right now.”
Percy started on the back nine and took the lead thanks to an eagle on the par-5 sixth and a birdie two holes later.
Percy credited his playing partner, Soren Kjeldsen, for setting a high standard as the Dane made an eagle and two birdies in the group’s first four holes.
“He made it look really easy, so I was just trying to keep up with him to be honest with you. He started fantastic,” Percy said. “Then he missed a few putts. We were in the last group. The greens aren’t going to be perfect.”
Els is back at the course where he won the 1997 US Open, although Congressional has certainly changed since then.
“This one feels more like a major,” Els said. “Last week they called it a major, but it’s just a nice big Champions Tour event. But this one has got more of that feel. It’s got a golf course with history, and it’s got some prestige here.”
The 53-year-old Horne has nine wins on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, plus a victory last year in the Legends Tour’s Zambia Legends Championship. He holed out a wedge from 109 yards for an eagle on the par-4 eighth.
Australians Stuart Appleby and Scott Hend are tied seventh, just two behind Percy, while compatriots Brendan Jones, Richard Green and Mark Hensby are all a shot further back in a tie for 24th.
