Aussie veteran Peter Senior seizes lead after opening round in Hawaii

PETER Senior fired a 7-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke first round lead at the Champions Tour's inaugural Hawaii Championship.

Peter Senior

PETER Senior fired a 7-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke first round lead at the Champions Tour's inaugural Hawaii Championship.

Winless in 65 starts in three seasons on the 50-and-over tour, the 53-year-old Australian birdied seven of the first 13 holes and closed with five pars in breezy afternoon conditions.

"It'd be nice to have a win," Senior said.

The Queensland has five runner-up finishes on the tour, losing three playoffs. He won the 2010 Australian PGA for the last of his 27 regular international victories, and also won the 2010 Australian Senior Open.

"It was a good hitting round and I putted extremely well for the first 15 holes," Senior said.

"I wish it was that easy every day ... I drove it well, which sets up this course. You've got to be coming from the fairway on a lot of your iron shots to get a little bit of spin. ... These are exactly the same conditions I play in every day at home. The wind comes up in the afternoon."

Jay Don Blake and Bill Glasson were tied for second.

Blake, coming off a victory three weeks ago in the Boeing Classic, finished with eight straight pars after making six birdies in an eight-hole stretch.

Mark McNulty and Eduardo Romero shot 67, and Charles Schwab Cup leader Tom Lehman was another stroke back along with Duffy Waldorf and Willie Wood.