Senior remains on course for 18th Open

FIFTY-year-old Peter Senior is on course to grab a place in the Open Championship at St Andrews this July. An opening three-under-par 69 at the 36-hole international qualifier at Kingston Heath in Melbourne left Senior joint second overnight with Aaron Townsend, one behind their fellow Australian Ewan Porter.

A 44-strong field – 78 players could have entered – are competing for three spots and Porter made the most of benign early conditions with six birdies and two bogeys.

Senior, trying to secure an 18th appearance at the Open and recent winner of the US Champions Tour qualifying school, started with a bogey, but eagled the long seventh and birdied the 14th and 15th.