Hensby hangs tough with power pairing in US Senior Open
Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink endured the ups and downs of the US Senior Open together for a second straight day and found themselves tied for the lead.
The payoff - sharing the final tee time to kick off the weekend at the hilly, hard-to-read Broadmoor.
Cink made up five shots over the final nine holes of his head-to-head pairing against Harrington, and the players headed into the weekend tied at six-under 134, along with the late-charging Mark Hensby.
Cink shot 31 on the front nine, their second nine, to match Harrington's score on the back.
Both players - the only two who average more than 300 yards driving on the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions - called it a comfortable pairing, especially on a hilly course at altitude where gauging distance is anything but routine.
"If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me," Harrington said. "But I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening, as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with."
Hensby shot his second straight round of three-under 67, finishing the day with his 14th and 15th birdies of the tournament.
That included a 20-footer on No.8 that would have been from closer had his tee shot not hit Doug Barron's ball on the green. Hensby was nine-under par on the front nine and three over on the back after two days.
"Making a lot of birdies, so that's a good thing around here," the Australian said.
Three behind are Thomas Bjorn (69), followed by YE Yang (68) and Billy Andrade (69) at two under.
At one under, Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounded out the list of nine players heading into the weekend under par.
Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at a course where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain.
"You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret," said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first US Senior Open.
Cink two-putted from 45 feet on No.9 for his fifth birdie on the front and a score of 66 - the best of the tournament so far.
After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult back nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend.
A pair of three-putts - one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope - resulted in bogeys.
But it ended well for the three-time major champion, whose wins came at the 2007 British Open and the '08 British and PGA Championship.
Short-sided in a greenside bunker on No.9, Harrington made a 20-footer along the same line Cink had just putted for a birdie to head into the clubhouse in a tie.
"I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice," said Harrington, who won the US Senior Open in 2022. "They're the breaks you get when things are going well."
Australian Scott Hend (69) is tied 10th at even par, while Steven Alker and Stuart Appleby are a shot further back.
Among those missing the cut were 12-time senior major champion Bernhard Langer, who shot 77, and Angel Cabrera, a two-time major winner this year, who shot 75. Both missed the number by three.
Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink endured the ups and downs of the US Senior Open together for a second straight day and found themselves tied for the lead.
The payoff - sharing the final tee time to kick off the weekend at the hilly, hard-to-read Broadmoor.
Cink made up five shots over the final nine holes of his head-to-head pairing against Harrington, and the players headed into the weekend tied at six-under 134, along with the late-charging Mark Hensby.
Cink shot 31 on the front nine, their second nine, to match Harrington's score on the back.
Both players - the only two who average more than 300 yards driving on the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions - called it a comfortable pairing, especially on a hilly course at altitude where gauging distance is anything but routine.
"If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me," Harrington said. "But I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening, as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with."
Hensby shot his second straight round of three-under 67, finishing the day with his 14th and 15th birdies of the tournament.
That included a 20-footer on No.8 that would have been from closer had his tee shot not hit Doug Barron's ball on the green. Hensby was nine-under par on the front nine and three over on the back after two days.
"Making a lot of birdies, so that's a good thing around here," the Australian said.
Three behind are Thomas Bjorn (69), followed by YE Yang (68) and Billy Andrade (69) at two under.
At one under, Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounded out the list of nine players heading into the weekend under par.
Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at a course where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain.
"You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret," said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first US Senior Open.
Cink two-putted from 45 feet on No.9 for his fifth birdie on the front and a score of 66 - the best of the tournament so far.
After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult back nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend.
A pair of three-putts - one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope - resulted in bogeys.
But it ended well for the three-time major champion, whose wins came at the 2007 British Open and the '08 British and PGA Championship.
Short-sided in a greenside bunker on No.9, Harrington made a 20-footer along the same line Cink had just putted for a birdie to head into the clubhouse in a tie.
"I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice," said Harrington, who won the US Senior Open in 2022. "They're the breaks you get when things are going well."
Australian Scott Hend (69) is tied 10th at even par, while Steven Alker and Stuart Appleby are a shot further back.
Among those missing the cut were 12-time senior major champion Bernhard Langer, who shot 77, and Angel Cabrera, a two-time major winner this year, who shot 75. Both missed the number by three.
Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink endured the ups and downs of the US Senior Open together for a second straight day and found themselves tied for the lead.
The payoff - sharing the final tee time to kick off the weekend at the hilly, hard-to-read Broadmoor.
Cink made up five shots over the final nine holes of his head-to-head pairing against Harrington, and the players headed into the weekend tied at six-under 134, along with the late-charging Mark Hensby.
Cink shot 31 on the front nine, their second nine, to match Harrington's score on the back.
Both players - the only two who average more than 300 yards driving on the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions - called it a comfortable pairing, especially on a hilly course at altitude where gauging distance is anything but routine.
"If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me," Harrington said. "But I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening, as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with."
Hensby shot his second straight round of three-under 67, finishing the day with his 14th and 15th birdies of the tournament.
That included a 20-footer on No.8 that would have been from closer had his tee shot not hit Doug Barron's ball on the green. Hensby was nine-under par on the front nine and three over on the back after two days.
"Making a lot of birdies, so that's a good thing around here," the Australian said.
Three behind are Thomas Bjorn (69), followed by YE Yang (68) and Billy Andrade (69) at two under.
At one under, Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounded out the list of nine players heading into the weekend under par.
Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at a course where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain.
"You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret," said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first US Senior Open.
Cink two-putted from 45 feet on No.9 for his fifth birdie on the front and a score of 66 - the best of the tournament so far.
After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult back nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend.
A pair of three-putts - one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope - resulted in bogeys.
But it ended well for the three-time major champion, whose wins came at the 2007 British Open and the '08 British and PGA Championship.
Short-sided in a greenside bunker on No.9, Harrington made a 20-footer along the same line Cink had just putted for a birdie to head into the clubhouse in a tie.
"I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice," said Harrington, who won the US Senior Open in 2022. "They're the breaks you get when things are going well."
Australian Scott Hend (69) is tied 10th at even par, while Steven Alker and Stuart Appleby are a shot further back.
Among those missing the cut were 12-time senior major champion Bernhard Langer, who shot 77, and Angel Cabrera, a two-time major winner this year, who shot 75. Both missed the number by three.
Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink endured the ups and downs of the US Senior Open together for a second straight day and found themselves tied for the lead.
The payoff - sharing the final tee time to kick off the weekend at the hilly, hard-to-read Broadmoor.
Cink made up five shots over the final nine holes of his head-to-head pairing against Harrington, and the players headed into the weekend tied at six-under 134, along with the late-charging Mark Hensby.
Cink shot 31 on the front nine, their second nine, to match Harrington's score on the back.
Both players - the only two who average more than 300 yards driving on the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions - called it a comfortable pairing, especially on a hilly course at altitude where gauging distance is anything but routine.
"If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me," Harrington said. "But I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening, as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with."
Hensby shot his second straight round of three-under 67, finishing the day with his 14th and 15th birdies of the tournament.
That included a 20-footer on No.8 that would have been from closer had his tee shot not hit Doug Barron's ball on the green. Hensby was nine-under par on the front nine and three over on the back after two days.
"Making a lot of birdies, so that's a good thing around here," the Australian said.
Three behind are Thomas Bjorn (69), followed by YE Yang (68) and Billy Andrade (69) at two under.
At one under, Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jimenez rounded out the list of nine players heading into the weekend under par.
Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at a course where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain.
"You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret," said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first US Senior Open.
Cink two-putted from 45 feet on No.9 for his fifth birdie on the front and a score of 66 - the best of the tournament so far.
After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult back nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend.
A pair of three-putts - one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope - resulted in bogeys.
But it ended well for the three-time major champion, whose wins came at the 2007 British Open and the '08 British and PGA Championship.
Short-sided in a greenside bunker on No.9, Harrington made a 20-footer along the same line Cink had just putted for a birdie to head into the clubhouse in a tie.
"I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice," said Harrington, who won the US Senior Open in 2022. "They're the breaks you get when things are going well."
Australian Scott Hend (69) is tied 10th at even par, while Steven Alker and Stuart Appleby are a shot further back.
Among those missing the cut were 12-time senior major champion Bernhard Langer, who shot 77, and Angel Cabrera, a two-time major winner this year, who shot 75. Both missed the number by three.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
19 minutes ago
- West Australian
British and Irish Lions produce classy showing to beat Western Force 54-7 after hosts put up first half fight
A classy British and Irish Lions display has helped them begin their first Australian tour in 12 years with a bang as they downed Western Force 54-7 at Optus Stadium. But in front of a club record 46,656 fans, the Force hardly disgraced themselves as they fought tooth and nail and more than matched their star-studded opponents in an engrossing opening stanza. In the most important exhibition match this version of the Force will ever play, they refused to let the occasion over-awe them in the first half as they met fire with fire. But in a game of moments, it was the visitors who showed their class, taking a mile when granted an inch by the Force, who had more possession and territory by half-time, but found themselves 21-7 down at the break. Pretty passing patterns mesmerised the Force, and then rapid-fire offloads opened up channels the Lions all too happily exploited, and three tries in the 15 minutes after half-time killed off the contest. Young Lions whizz Henry Pollock justified the hype and the back-rower was at the centre of everything as he set-up two tries, was the centre of a full-team melee and was yellow carded on the stroke of half-time. But while the likes of Pollock, fly-half Finn Russell, full-back Elliot Daly and Aussie Irishman Mack Hansen would have given Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt food for thought ahead of the looming three-Test series. However, Schmidt would have also been encouraged by the performance of several players he released from his squad to link up with their Force teammates — none more so than Dylan Pietsch. Pietsch played like a man on fire and had plenty of support from fellow winger Mac Grealy as the game went on, the pair driving through contact and gaining metres through sheer will power, while Wallabies squad members Tom Robertson and Nick Champion de Crespigny also impressed. Once the Lions fans had spilled out of the watering holes and turned the Burswood peninsula red, it took less than two minutes for the tourists to stamp their credentials as rugby's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. Russell's precise cross-field kick picked out his captain Dan Sheehan, and the front-rower flipped the ball inside to James Lowe before accepting the off-load and scoring. The Force had barely touched the ball by that point, but the outstanding Pietsch scooped the resultant kick-off out of the sky to rescue possession. After 19 phases of Force pressure and close calls on the try-line to Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Darcy Swain and Ben Donaldson, Nic White scrambled over and Donaldson converted to level the scores. The Lions infringed frequently early, and in a sign of the Force's intent, they opted for touch rather than the posts, although they could not turn their set-piece supremacy into points. Pollock helped restore the Lions' advantage in the 17th minute when his sharp pass found Josh van der Flier and the English back-rower almost took the offload to the house with a barnstorming run, before his clever pass allowed Tomos Williams to score. The Force continued to knock on the door, but the Lions refused to let them in, and they put some distance between the two sides when Russell's quick tap-and-go caught the hosts napping. After Daly had plunged over, Nick Champion de Crespigny found himself at odds with Pollock and the pair tangled, triggering a full-team pushing and shoving match. Lightning struck not once, not twice, but thrice after the break as the Lions ripped the life out of the game with violent ferocity. A stinging counter-attack saw the Lions roar down the right edge and Williams acrobatically touched down for his second try of the night although immediately clutched at a hamstring afterwards. Once more down the right wing did the Lions go in the 52nd minute and some lovely passing from Russell and Daly ended in a Garry Ringrose try. Three minutes later, Pollock showed his class as the forward ran down his own chip and chase inside the 22 and Joe McCarthy lumbered over to make it 40-7. As the Force tired late and their bench entered the game, the Lions played with their food and Daly ran in his second try of the night before Hansen set up Alex Mitchell for their eighth try as time expired.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Hazlewood rips through West Indies as Australia take 1-0 series lead
Updated Australian cricket A five-wicket haul from Josh Hazlewood and some ordinary West Indies batting helped Australia secure a 1-0 series lead inside three days at Kensington Oval. Today, 4.30PM Tom Decent
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hazlewood rips through West Indies as Australia take 1-0 series lead
A fourth day looked likely before Lyon went bang-bang to hand Australia a comprehensive victory. 'When Joshy got the two [wickets] in a row I thought we were half a chance. The wicket was just playing a lot of tricks,' Cummins said. 'I thought we'd make decent inroads today but didn't think we'd get 10. 'Give Joshy a wicket with any little bit in it and he finds it. He just hits the right area, ball after ball, and presents good seam. He was fantastic. I thought he was great at Lord's last week without perhaps the returns he deserves, so it's a huge asset to have on our side.' Mitchell Starc took the first wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite but Hazlewood was the chief destroyer, removing John Campbell (23) and Brandon King in consecutive balls before his hat-trick ball went through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Hazlewood then snared Roston Chase (2) and Keacy Carty (20) to edge Australia closer to victory. At one point in his spell, Hazlewood took 4-4 from 16 balls. Resuming on 4-92 with an 82-run lead, Australian duo Travis Head (61) and Beau Webster (63) knuckled down for a commanding 102-run partnership to take the game away from the West Indies. The West Indies' terrible fielding in this Test was on display once again when Head was dropped on 21 by Greaves at second slip early in the day. It was the home side's seventh dropped catch in the slips across the match. Head and Webster's partnership was the first fifth-wicket century stand by an Australian pair in Tests since Mitch Marsh and Steve Smith put on 153 against Pakistan in Melbourne in 2023. Webster continues to prosper at Test level and now has a very tidy return of 305 runs at 43.57 from eight innings. Head, who was named man of the match, was out lbw to Shamar Joseph before Webster was unlucky to be caught down the leg side to the same bowler, leaving Australia at 6-208. Carey pushed the game along by crunching a 40-ball half century, which included two big sixes down the ground. There was a period in the middle session when Australia smashed 68 from 46 balls. Australia's wicketkeeper eventually perished for 65 as Joseph finished with figures of 5-87 for the innings to help bowl the tourists out for 310. 'I thought those three were brilliant,' Cummins said. 'They kept the scoreboard ticking over. That was the difference. Those guys took the game away from the West Indies.' Loading Joseph, who appeared to be carrying some kind of injury, pushed through the pain to pick up nine wickets for the match (9-133) in an impressive display after his heroics at the Gabba early last year. The West Indies' highest successful run chase in Bridgetown came in 1999 when Brian Lara made an unbeaten 153 to steer his side to a target of 308 against Australia with one wicket in hand. On this occasion, they never got close. A day after West Indies coach Daren Sammy slammed the performance of match officials, the side's captain Roston Chase also expressed his displeasure. 'There were so many questionable calls in the game and none of them went our way,' Chase said. 'We had some questionable calls and that really set us back in terms of creating a big lead on the total that Australia set. 'It's frustrating because as players, when we mess up, when we get out of line, we are penalised harshly. Sometimes we're even banned. You're talking about guys' careers.'
