Steven Alker takes one-shot lead at The Senior Open Championship

Things to Know

Celebrating his 52nd birthday today, 2022 Charles Schwab Cup winner Steven Alker registered a three-under 68, matching the low round of the day and giving him a one-shot lead over Alex Čejka and a two-shot lead over Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon.

A pack of players sit at one-under (T4) for the tournament, including 1999 Open Championship winner Paul Lawrie, World Golf Hall of Fame member Vijay Singh, Denmark’s Anders Hansen and 2016 Senior Open Winner Paul Broadhurst.

Steven Alker, 70-68 – 138 (-4)

Celebrating his 52nd birthday today, 2022 Charles Schwab Cup winner Steven Alker registered a three-under 68, helping him secure a solo lead at the tournament’s midway point.

- This marks Alker’s second career appearance at the Senior Open, following a T3 at the 2022 tournament. Alker is seeking his seventh career win on PGA TOUR Champions (44th start) and his second career major on this Tour, following his victory at the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

- This marks the seventh time leading/co-leading after two rounds on PGA TOUR Champions and his second time doing so in a 72-hole event. He is 3-for-7 in converting those into victories (0-for-2 in 72-hole events).

- This marks Alker’s best position in a PGA TOUR Champions major through two rounds since the 2022 Kaulig Companies Chamioinship (T1).

Other Notes

Alex Čejka carded an even-par round of 71 and sits solo second after Round 2.

- Cejka is seeking his third career victory on PGA TOUR Champions (61st start) and his third career PGA TOUR Champions major (wins: 2021 Regions Tradition & 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship).

- This marks Cejka’s best position in a PGA TOUR Champions major through two rounds since the 2022 Kaulig Companies Chamioinship (T1).

Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon birdied four of his first six holes en route to a 68 on the afternoon (-3).

- This is the first PGA TOUR Champions start of Hutcheon’s career.

Paul Lawrie – winner of the 1999 Open Championship – recovered from two early bogies with back-to-back birdies on holes 6 & 7. He ended his round by recording par on his final 11 holes of the day, finishing the afternoon with an even-par 71. Through two rounds, he sits at T4.

- Seeking his first career win on PGA TOUR Champions (ninth start), this is his highest-ever position through two rounds.

An eagle on the 18th hole propelled Vijay Singh to a two-under 69 on the day and a T4 position after Round 2. Singh is seeking his sixth career victory on PGA TOUR Champions (125th start) and his second major on this Tour (won 2018 Kaulig Companies Championship).

- This marks Singh’s best position on PGA TOUR Champions through two rounds since the 2022 DICK’S Sporting Goods Open (T3) and his best position on a major in this Tour since the 2018 Kaulig Companies Championship.

Denmark’s Anders Hansen registered a two-under 69 and sits at T4 following Round 2. This is the first career PGA TOUR Champions start for Hansen.

Paul Broadhurst – winner of the 2016 Senior Open – shot an even-par 71 in Round 2. After 36 holes, he is T4. Broadhurst is seeking his sixth career victory on PGA TOUR Champions (164th start) and his third career major (2016 Senior Open & 2018 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship).

Four-time Senior Open Champion Bernhard Langer – who has won each of the two previous Senior Opens held at Royal Porthcawl – registered a two-under 69 in Round 2, highlighted by four straight birdies on his outward nine (holes 4-7), which tied his longest birdie-or-better streak of the season. It matches his longest such streak since the 2022 Chubb Classic (Round 1, five consecutive birdies, holes 11-15). He sits at T8 through two rounds.

- Langer is searching for his second PGA TOUR Champions major victory this season and the 13th of his career, extending his own record for major wins on this Tour.

- With a victory, Langer would be the first player in PGA TOUR Champions history to win the same major five times. He is currently tied with Hale Irwin (won Senior PGA Championship four times) and Jack Nicklaus (won Regions Tradition four times) for the most PGA TOUR Champions major victories at a single event.

- Earlier this season, Langer won the 2023 U.S. Senior Open to capture his record-setting 46th victory on PGA TOUR Champions, the most in the history of this Tour.

After a three-over 38 on his outward nine, American Shane Bertsch tallied the lowest inward nine of the day, registering a bogey-free five-under 31, propelled by four consecutive birdies (holes 10-13). With a two-under 69 on the day Bertsch sits at T8.

- Bertsch’s four consecutive birdies mark his longest streak of birdie-or-better this season and his longest such streak since the 2022 Timbertech Championship.

- In his third career appearance at the Senior Open, this is Bertsch’s first time making the cut at this tournament and the 69 is his lowest career round at this event.

- This mark’s his second time inside the Top 10 through two rounds at a PGA TOUR Champions major (also: T4, 2021 U.S. Senior Open).

The low round of the day belonged to Spain’s Santiago Luna, who carded a four-under 67 to move into T8 after two rounds.

Defending Senior Open champion Darren Clarke sits T59 (+5) through two rounds.