Cameron Percy takes early lead at US Senior PGA Championship
Cameron Percy in action during his opening round of 67 at the Congressional Country Club – image courtesy of PGA of America
US-based Victorian, Cameron Percy, has taken a one-shot lead after the opening round of the US Senior PGA Championship at the Congressional Golf Club in Maryland, an eagle at his 6th hole followed by a birdie at his 17th finishing off a round of 67 to be one ahead of South African Keith Horne.
51-year-old Percy, who has played in the US since first venturing there to play the Korn Ferry Tour in 2007, has one win to his credit in the US, when he won on the Web.Com Tour in 2014. However, he did lose a playoff in his rookie PGA Tour year at the Justin Timberlake event in Las Vegas when Jonathan Byrd holed in one on him during the playoff.
Since joining the PGA Tour Champions in mid-2024 he has recorded five top ten finishes with a best of 3rd at American Family Insurance event last June, but today in the second major of the year for the over fifties he has made a fine start
“I’m pretty happy with a 5-under,” said Percy. “It was nasty out there for a while there. I thought they were going to blow the siren, but no, just keep going, and it was pretty tough. You had a lot of water on your ball and all that stuff, so it was really hard to judge.”
Percy was unable to get a full preparation ahead of the event having slipped and hurt his back last week.
“We’re all old now, so it’s pretty stiff. On Sunday it was so wet and I slipped on a rock and made a mess of myself. I’ve been in the physio Monday, Tuesday for a good hour, hour and a half and then yesterday for another hour. I’m pretty sore right now.
Stuart Appleby and Scott Hend are the next best of the Australians at 2 under and three from the lead in a share of 7th place.
