Dicky Pride shot an impressive 9-under 63 to take the lead after the first round of the Dick’s Open at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, New York. Pride, who claimed his sole PGA Tour Champions victory in 2021, finished his round with a strong finish that included birdies on three of the last four holes. His scorecard featured nine birdies and nine pars, giving him a two-shot advantage over Tommy Gainey, Padraig Harrington of Ireland, and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.

Pride, who was 5 under through eight holes before his closing surge, credited his putting as a key factor in his score. He managed to find 15 of 18 greens in regulation and was able to save par from difficult lies on the few occasions he missed the greens. “I hit the ball pretty straight,” Pride said. “Not quite as crisp as I wanted on occasion, but I made a lot of putts. That’s been the formula at En-Joie for a long time.”

Darren Clarke recorded a bogey-free round of 65 to stay close behind the leader. Padraig Harrington also matched Pride’s nine birdies, but bogeys on the first and 11th holes impacted his overall score. Harrington described a challenging start but noted that momentum built as the round progressed. “Today got off to a bad start, made a terrible bogey. Then I made a few birdies, started getting into it,” he said. “There was good momentum in the group in that sense.”

In his debut on the PGA Tour Champions, Michael Block made a strong impression by carding a 6-under 66. The PGA teaching professional, who gained recognition after tying for 15th at the 2023 PGA Championship and recording a hole-in-one on the final day, received a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the Dick’s Open. Block’s round included seven birdies and one bogey, putting him in a tie for fifth place alongside Bo Van Pelt, Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson, and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Reflecting on his performance, Block said, “I was super nervous. I told my son earlier in the day, who’s my caddie, I’m really more nervous today than I was even at the PGA Championship a month ago.”

The tournament continues over the following days with the frontrunners looking to build on their strong opening rounds at the historic course.