Darren Clarke puts himself right among the top of the pack with an impressive first round at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge as the 56-year-old carded a five-under-par 67 to put the 2011 Open winner in a seven-way tie for fourth.
Clarke, who’s looking to better his third-place finish at the Chubb Classic earlier this year, began his round with intent as he birdied the first, fourth and ninth holes while keeping his scorecard free from bogeys heading into the back nine.
The Tyrone man made bogey on the par-4 12th hole, but it was quickly forgotten about after the three-time PGA Tour winner finished his round in the best possible way with a birdie on the 17th hole and an eagle on the 18th.
Clarke is looking to add to his five wins on the PGA Champions Tour, most notably being his Senior Open Championship win in 2022.
58-year-old Jerry Kelly saw a six-hole birdie run as the three-time PGA Tour winner could not put a foot wrong between the 12th and 17th holes on day which sees him in a tie for the lead at seven-under-par.
Tied with Kelly is 54-year-old Matt Gogel who is seeking a first win on the PGA Champions Tour followed by Paul Goydos who sits in third place just a shot off the lead.
Former world number one Vijay Singh joins Clarke at five-under-par as a flurry of birdies as the 62-year-old closed out his first round saw him jump up the leaderboard.
Leaderboard
