Morgan leaves rest feeling the heat

Gil Morgan fired a five-under-par 66 to lead by a shot rom Peter Jacobsen after the opening round of the Senior PGA Championship, the first Major of the year on the Champions Tour.

The 59-year-old, looking for his first Major title since the 1998 Jeld-Wen Tradition, had six birdies and one bogey on the 7,102-yard Oak Tree Golf Club in Oklahoma.

After playing his practice rounds in windy conditions, Morgan, who lives nearby, managed to move in front of the pack despite temperatures approaching 100F.

“I would rather play in heat than I would wind,” admitted Morgan. “I don’t know how hot it got, but it was pretty humid out there.

“In the practice rounds, it was a little bit warm, but it wasn’t very humid.”

Morgan posted the lowest opening round in this tournament since 1999, when Bruce Summerhays shot a six-under 66 at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

“Actually, it’s the best round I’ve ever played here,” Morgan said. “In competition, at least.”

Jacobsen, who still plays several tournaments on the PGA Tour, birdied three straight holes on the front nine and made his lone bogey on the 14th hole en route to a 67.

The 2001 champion Tom Watson had an inconsistent round with seven birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey on the par-three fourth hole to be level with Jay Haas and Loren Roberts on 68, two shots off the lead.

Haas, who also made his only bogey on the 14th, is looking to win his third consecutive start after capturing the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf and the FedEx Kinko’s Classic last month.

Brad Bryant, Dana Quigley, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Jim Thorpe and Katsuyoshi Tomori are tied for sixth on 69.

Defending champion Mike Reid finished at even-par, while four-time winner Hale Irwin was seven shots off the pace after a two-over 73.