GOLF ROUNDUP : Ringer Shows Up, Takes U.S. Senior Open Lead

The only thing better than playing golf with Arnold Palmer is playing better than Arnold Palmer.

Just ask Larry Ringer. One day after enjoying a practice round with his favorite golfer, Ringer shot a four-under-par 68 to share the lead with J.C. Snead after Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Senior Open in Bethesda, Md.

Regardless of how he fares in the tournament, Ringer will never forget this week. The thrills began Wednesday, when the former golf coach at the Naval Academy found himself in a foursome with Palmer.

“That made my day,” Ringer said. “It made my year.”

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any better, Ringer had the round of his life Thursday. He didn’t make a bogey, had 12 one-putt greens and twice sank putts of more than 30 feet.

Palmer, meanwhile, had a 72 despite a double bogey after three-putting on the 14th hole. That left him two over, but birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 got him back to par.

Ringer shared the lead with Snead, who sank a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 17.

Bob Murphy, a three-time winner on the senior tour this year, was tied with Tom Weiskopf and four others at 69.

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Glen Day and Mike Standly each turned in the best score of his career, a nine-under-par 62, and were tied for the first-round lead at the FedEx-St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Day had an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey; Standly had nine birdies, including five in a row.

Dennis Paulson was third at 64, and seven golfers, including Scott Simpson and John Cook, were at 66.

Day joined the PGA Tour last year, and Standly has been on it since 1991.