BRIDGEND, Wales — Steven Alker moved to the highest of the Senior Open Championship leaderboard on Friday with a 3-under 68 after Miguel Angel Jimenez adopted up a spherical to recollect with one to neglect.
Enjoying on his birthday, Alker hit 4 birdies within the second spherical together with a bogey on the par-4 tenth. The New Zealander is 4 underneath total and leads his fellow 52-year-old Alex Cejka (71) of Germany by a shot at Royal Porthcawl.
Alker is chasing his second main victory within the over-50 ranks. He gained the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship final 12 months.
Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon (68) is a one other stroke again in third.
In a single day chief Jimenez had an opening-round 5-under 66 however dropped all the way down to an eight-way tie for eighth after a 5-over 76, together with 4 bogeys between Nos. 13 to 17. Jimenez was the primary Spaniard to win the event in 2018. Bernhard Langer, who gained the final time the Senior Open was held at Royal Porthcawl in 2017, carded a 69 to additionally share eighth. He’s a four-time winner of this main and has been runner-up thrice.
Defending champion Darren Clarke (74) is 5 over.
The event is the final of 5 majors on the senior schedule. The winner will get into The Open subsequent 12 months at Royal Troon.
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