Scioto holds U.S. Senior Open in check during tough opening round

Rest up boys, this one is going to be a long fight.

Perhaps Padraig Harrington’s succinct, one-word answer to the final question he got from reporters after Thursday’s opening round at Scioto Country Club summarized what the 2026 U.S. Senior Open field faced in the three days ahead.

“Rest,” said Harrington, who carded a 1-under 69.

The reigning U.S. Senior Open champ who defeated Stewart Cink at The Broadmoor a year ago was asked what his approach would be for the remaining 54 holes in Columbus, Ohio, where temperatures are expected to hover over 90 degrees throughout the tournament.

First round co-leader Charlie Wi shot a 67 thanks to a run of five consecutive birdies on the first nine holes at Scioto but also admitted he was taking a slower strategy after the round than he would in other weeks.

“Just hit a few balls and that’s it,” he said.

Wi said it’s easy to lose control mentally in those conditions. He was so worn down by the heat he needed his caddie to remind him that just a month ago at the Regions he had carded five straight birdies.

“On the Champions Tour, we don’t really play in heat like this,” the South Korean explained. “This golf course, they took out a lot of trees so there are no shades where you can really hide.

“When things aren’t going well it’s easy to lose yourself out there,” Wi added. “Luckily I was playing well, so I was able to stay focused the whole way around.”

Turkey, cheese and chard

Wi shares the 18-hole lead with Cink, who has won both of the PGA Tour Champions’ previous majors.

Cink admitted he “sought the shade a lot today” and was not exactly chatty during the round.

“I did purposely walk way out to the edge and walk in the trees quite a bit,” said Cink, who did not carry an umbrella. “Stood in some weird places while the other guys in my group were hitting on the tees like way off to the side or whatever.”

Staying hydrating was a challenge for Cink who resorted to eating turkey, cheese and chard prepared by his wife.

“Food like that can hydrate you a little bit too because of all the water in the chard,” Cink explained “It was hard. It was challenging. I drank a lot of water. I went through the hydration powder.

“I wasn’t really all that talkative today. I just tried to save my energy for just deciding what to do and focusing on the golf shot and just getting to the house.”

Cautious approach

As for Harington, the Irishman went for eight straight pars on the front nine before getting a birdie to card a 34. His next nine holes were a whole lot more dramatic.

He opened with three straight bogeys, before finding a much-needed circle on the 452-yard, par-4 13th hole. He went birdie-birdie into the clubhouse to finish tied with eight other players two shots back of Wi and Cink.

“There’s definitely pressure when you’re defending,” Harrington said. “You feel like you’re already leading the tournament, so you have that pressure no doubt. That’s probably why for the first six holes I was very cautious.”

Five players sit T-2, including Freddie Jacobson and Simon Griffiths.

Like Harrington and Wi, they both were impacted by the heat in different ways. Griffiths had the highlight of the day with a hole-in-one on No. 17.

“I wasn’t feeling very good. I bogeyed the last three holes, and I was feeling lightheaded, wasn’t feeling particularly well,” he said. “It was a good number for my gap wedge. I was trying to literally make contact with the ball. When I hit it, I thought, ‘Well, that looks good. That’s on the green.’ To go in was just a bonus.”

Jacobson, who finished T-16 last year at Broadmoor’s East Couse, was able to get off the tee early and beat the worst of the heat. He carded a mistake-free 33 on the back nine.

“If you play good, you’re going to have a chance, but you can end up in trouble quickly,” Jacobson said.

DICK’S Open 2026 – Final Round

How to watch the 2026 U.S. Senior Open

Scioto Country Club is preparing to host its third U.S. Senior Open in Columbus, Ohio. Padraig Harrington is the defending champion after edging out Stewart Cink by a shot in 2025. Here’s how to watch and stream the tournament this week.

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