Keith Horne, a 53-year-old golfer with an impressive history on the Sunshine Tour, has taken a commanding lead at the Senior PGA Championship. Horne enjoyed a strong performance at last year’s Zambia Legends Championship on the Legends Tour. Now, he’s primed to have a big impact in this tournament. He starts today with a one-shot lead, a testament to the poise and expertise he’s displayed on the brutal Congressional Country Club golf course.
Horne has nine wins on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour. He confessed to being intimidated by the layout prior to the Championship’s start. “I played a practice round on Monday and I was very scared to play the golf course,” he said. Despite his worries, Horne has remained focused, putting in many hours of physiotherapy to get himself match fit for the championship. So he spent more than an hour on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, he spent an additional hour, as a testament to his desire and determination to be the best.
Close behind Horne in the competition, Ernie Els seemed prepared to fight for yet another major championship. The former world No. 1 golfer went out and shot a solid 3-under 69 on Thursday, good enough to finish just two strokes off the lead. Els said this tournament is special, adding, “This one feels more like a major.” He joins fellow South Africans Darren Fichardt and Horne near the top of the leaderboard, reinforcing South Africa’s strong presence in the competition.
The opening round of the Senior PGA Championship showcased some of the game’s greats. Ángel Cabrera won his first Masters title on Monday as he celebrated victory in the delayed Regions Tradition. At the same time, Simon Khan and Mario Tiziani both placed third in the Senior PGA Tour event. Soren Kjeldsen took all the headlines by making an eagle and two birdies on the first four holes of his round. Cameron Percy said of Kjeldsen’s opening round, “I guess someone has to raise the bar.” Percy remarked, “He made it look really easy, so I was just trying to keep up with him to be honest with you.”
Throughout the two-week tournament, defending champion Richard Bland will attempt to retake his championship title from some of the world’s top players. Meanwhile, Vijay Singh’s withdrawal from the PGA Championship last week due to injury opens up opportunities for other players to make their mark.
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