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 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Jim Furyk, the defending U.S. Senior Open champion, shot a 71. Steve Alker, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup points standings on the PGA Tour Champions, shot a 72 in his U.S. Senior Open debut. Alker won the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship last month. He has three wins, a tie for second and two third-place ties in his last six starts on the senior circuit.
The oldest U.S. Senior Open champion is Allen Doyle, who won the event in 2006 about two weeks before his 58th birthday.