BRIDGEND, Wales — Steven Alker moved to the top of the Senior Open Championship leaderboard on Friday with a 3-under 68 after Miguel Angel Jimenez followed up a round to remember with one to forget.
Playing on his birthday, Alker hit four birdies in the second round along with a bogey at the par-4 10th. The New Zealander is 4 under overall and leads his fellow 52-year-old Alex Cejka (71) of Germany by a shot at Royal Porthcawl.
Alker is chasing his second major victory in the over-50 ranks. He won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship last year.
Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon (68) is a further stroke back in third.
Overnight leader Jimenez had an opening-round 5-under 66 but dropped down to an eight-way tie for eighth after a 5-over 76, including four bogeys between Nos. 13-17. Jimenez was the first Spaniard to win the tournament, in 2018. Bernhard Langer, who won the last time the Senior Open was held at Royal Porthcawl in 2017, carded a 69 to also share eighth. He is a four-time winner of this major and has been runner-up three times.
Defending champion Darren Clarke (74) is 5 over
The tournament is the last of five majors on the senior schedule. The winner gets into The Open next year at Royal Troon.
This story originally appeared on ESPN
