 July 2-5, 2026, Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio  Oppressive heat. An extremely challenging golf course. And a national championship. It’s enough to make anyone lose their mind. Like it’s been all week at Scioto Country Club, a historic Donald Ross design hosting its third U.S. Senior Open Championship (46th edition), the weather for Thursday’s opening round – namely temperatures in the mid-90s with triple-digit Heat Indexes – continued to be the dominating story. Trying to stay focused while hydrating as much as possible was as much the goal as finding fairways and greens. Stewart Cink just needed nine holes to figure everything out. The winner of the year’s first two senior majors got off to a slow start, but once he got lathered up, the 53-year-old from Atlanta, Ga., brought more heat than a Jacob Misiorowski fastball. It was if Cink wiped away the pedestrian start as if he was brushing off sweat with a towel. A 2-over 37 became a back-nine 30 for a 3-under-par 67, good enough to share the lead with Charlie Wi. Cink rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and then finished the day off with a brilliant 8-iron fairway bunker shot to 3 feet on 18. He also birdied Nos. 10 (18 feet), 13 (15 feet) and 14 (6 feet). Five players posted 2-under 68s: Freddie Jacobson, George McNeill and Simon Griffiths, who had an ace on the par-3 17th hole. Defending champion Padraig Harrington, who made three birdies over his final six holes, was among the group at 1-under 69. Also in the clubhouse on that number were Miguel Angel Jimenez, the co-runner-up here 10 years ago, Tommy Gainey, Ben Crane, Jamie Donaldson, lefties Richard Green and Greg Chalmers, Soren Kjeldsen, Alex Cejka, Cameron Percy and Paul Stankowski. WHAT’S NEXT Round 2 for the 156 competitors will take place on Friday, beginning at 7 a.m. EDT (7:05 a.m. off the 10th hole) with the low 60 scorers and ties advancing to the weekend. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. NOTABLE Rik Cramer, a club professional from Bellbrook, Ohio, had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot. Cramer qualified for this championship at his home course, Miami Valley Golf Club, in Dayton, Ohio. He drew a loud ovation when introduced as members from his club along with family, some flying in from Virginia and Texas, were in his gallery. Paul Wackerly III, of Carrollton, Ohio, hit the first shot off No. 10.Simon Griffiths’ ace on Thursday was the first hole-in-one ever recorded at Scioto during a U.S. Senior Open. Five-time PGA Tour winner Mark Wilson made the first birdie of the championship on the par-4 first hole. Wilson also was the runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1992 U.S. Junior Amateur. Two other Woods’ six victims in USGA amateur finals are on the grounds this week. Ryan Armour, a former Ohio State standout who is competing in his first U.S. Senior Open, lost the 1993 U.S. Junior Amateur final, and Trip Kuehne, who is serving as the caddie for younger brother and Senior Open debutante Hank Kuehne, fell in the 1994 U.S. Amateur finalA plethora of USGA champions are competing inside the ropes this week, but one past winner is serving as a roving Rules official. Kevin Johnson, a former Clemson University standout, won the 1987 U.S. Amateur Public Links just south of Columbus at Glenview Golf Course, in Cincinnati. A year later, he lost in the championship match in 37 holes to Ralph Howe III, the USGA’s first left-handed champion. Johnson and Howe were both on the 1989 USA Walker Cup Team. Johnson currently serves as a full-time Rules official on PGA Tour Champions. David Jacobsen, the brother of 2004 U.S. Senior Open champion Peter Jacobsen, is the first-tee starter this week. Jacobsen won the 2025 USGA Joe Dey Award for meritorious service to the game. His son, Matt, also is assisting the USGA with security. Peter, a golf analyst for Golf Channel and NBC, is also here as a member of the broadcast team. Doug Fry is starting players on No. 10.To keep the players/spectators/caddies/officials properly hydrated in the oppressive heat and humidity, the USGA and Scioto Country Club are bringing in approximately 500 cases of water per day. Five water stations have also been installed at various points on the course for fans to keep cool. All of the on-site digital boards have warning signs about the weather conditions.Jay Haas’ remarkable streak of making the cut every one of his U.S. Senior Open starts (18-for-18) is in jeopardy. The South Carolinian opened with a 6-over 76 .Architect Andrew Green, the man responsible for the latest restoration of Scioto C.C., caddied in the Tuesday practice round for Hank Kuehne. Green did some renovations at The Vaquero Club outside of Dallas where Kuehne is the director of golf and older brother Trip is a member. Trip is on Hank’s bag for the championship. Green specializes in restoring Donald Ross designs.Mark Calcavecchia withdrew from the championship after 11 holes. No official reason was given. Also withdrawing on Thursday was qualifier Scott Berliner. |
