SILVIS, Ill.
Steve Wheatcroft shot a career-best 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic.
Wheatcroft birdied seven of the last nine holes to finish a shot ahead of Michael Kim. Johnson Wagner, Nick Taylor, Andres Romero and Joel Dahmen shot opening-round 64s. Francesco Molinari, who won the Quicken Loans National two weeks ago, was among a group of players three strokes back.
Zach Johnson shot 69 and three-time John Deere winner Steve Stricker finished at 1- under 70.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, the highest-ranked player in the field, withdrew because of a right shoulder injury.
DeChambeau, who won the Memorial Tournament earlier this season, first tweaked his shoulder on a shot out of the rough on the second hole. He pulled out after an awkward tee shot on No. 16.
Wheatcroft hasn’t had a top-10 finish this season, and he’s 209th in the FedEx Cup standings. But Wheatcroft caught fire on the back nine, finishing with six straight birdies — including a 13-foot putt on the par-4 18th — for just his third round in the 60s this season.
Wheatcroft’s previous best scores on the PGA Tour were 64s at the 2012 Greenbrier Classic and the 2016 Canadian Open.
Senior Women’s Open
WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — Considering the historical importance for women’s golf, Elaine Crosby realized this round carried a good deal of significance.
Crosby shot a 3-under-par 70 Thursday at Chicago Golf Club for the lead after one round of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
“It’s history for women’s golf,” said Crosby, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “We’ve worked really hard.”
A winner of two tournaments in 17 LPGA seasons, the 60-year-old Crosby owns a one-shot advantage over England’s Trish Johnson, Laura Davies and Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann heading into Friday’s second round.
Unlike the men, women professional golfers haven’t enjoyed an expansive senior tour with only a handful of events held on The Legends Tour.
So the chance to play a major USGA event for the first time has been important to the sport’s future.
“I mean, just being here, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Neumann said
Senior Players
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — Kenny Perry wasn’t sure what to expect.
He’s still rounding back into form following shoulder surgery. His back’s bothering him, too.
A spot at the top of the leaderboard in a major? He’ll take it.
Perry and Mike Small shot 7-under 65s to share a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship on Thursday.
Bart Bryant, Glen Day and 2015 U.S. Senior Open champion Jeff Maggert were one stroke back in the fourth of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.
Defending champion Scott McCarron was in a pack at 5 under.
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