Woody Austin Leads Senior British Open

By ESPN

Woody Austin made four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine and finished with a 4-under 68 to take the first-round lead in the Senior British Open.

Austin, 52, rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10 with birdies on 11, 12, 14 and 16. He has struggled after winning three times in four events this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

"It seems I forgot how to play after that," Austin said. "It's been really bad since. It's been unfortunately a long stretch of really ugliness."

Mark O'Meara was a stroke back along with Carlos Franco, Esteban Toledo, Joe Durant, Tom Byrum, Scott McCarron and Peter Fowler. Franco, from Paraguay, qualified Monday.

The wind was 10-15 mph at Carnoustie Golf Links with a mix of sun and clouds and a high in the 60s.

"I think the rain yesterday softened the course a little bit," O'Meara said. "We were pretty fortunate. The wind laid down just a little bit in the middle of our round out there, so it was a little bit more playable. But Carnoustie is a very demanding golf course. You have to drive the ball well. You have to be accurate with your iron shots, and then you've got to putt well."

Austin won the last of his four PGA Tour titles in the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship.

PGA To Keep Championship in Charlotte

The PGA of America will keep the 2017 PGA Championship in Charlotte despite its objection to North Carolina House Bill 2, which limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people in the state.

The tournament will be held at Quail Hollow Club.

"The PGA of America strongly opposes North Carolina HB2. It contradicts our commitment to create an inclusive and welcoming environment at our events. We remain hopeful that the law will be changed," the organization said in a written statement.

"Since the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte is a private facility not subject to all of the provisions of HB2, at the 2017 PGA Championship we plan to allow spectators to use the restroom that conforms with their gender identity or gender expression," the statement said. "As we look to future events, our willingness to consider coming back to the State of North Carolina will be severely impacted unless HB2 is overturned."