ESPN Golf: Cink and Wi Share Senior Open Lead After Round-One 67s

Cink Surges on the Back Nine to Share Day-One Lead

Stewart Cink and Charlie Wi both carded 3-under 67s at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio to sit atop the U.S. Senior Open leaderboard after the opening round.

Cink stumbled to a 2-over 37 on the front nine before igniting with five consecutive birdies on the back to claw his way into contention. He sealed the day with a birdie on the par-4 18th, holing out from around two feet after finding the bunker off the tee. "I started like I'd been off for a while, but the back nine was really nice," he reflected, noting three missed birdie putts inside ten feet that could have produced an even more impressive total.

Historic Triple-Major Sweep on the Line

Cink has already claimed the Senior PGA Championship and the Tradition this season — two of the three premier titles on the PGA Tour Champions calendar. The last player to sweep all three in a single year was Jack Nicklaus in 1991, and fittingly, the venue hosting this year's U.S. Senior Open is Scioto CC, the Donald Ross layout where Nicklaus developed his game. Cink also has a chance to join a short list of players who turned a runner-up finish the prior year into a title the next.

Wi's Record-Tying Birdie Streak

Charlie Wi electrified the field with five consecutive birdies spanning holes three through seven, making him just the 14th player in the tournament's 46-year history to accomplish the feat. He highlighted his run with a 5-iron to within inches on the 205-yard par-3 fourth. However, a wayward second shot into the water on the eighth led to a double bogey that halted his momentum.

Heat was a significant factor throughout the day, with temperatures reaching 95°F and a heat index exceeding 100°F. Both leaders cited mental focus as a key to navigating the conditions.

Simon Griffiths, Freddie Jacobson, and George McNeill sit tied third at 68, while defending champion Padraig Harrington is part of a ten-man group at 69.

Strokeslab Perspective

Cink's ability to reset mid-round and generate five birdies on a demanding back nine in sweltering heat speaks to elite-level course management and short-game efficiency — precisely the Strokes Gained profile that separates major winners from contenders.