Gemma Dryburgh and Stephen Gallacher off to strong starts in US events

Dryburgh, the Scottish No 1, and Australian Porter carded a four-under-par 66 in their opening round at Midland Country Club in Michigan to lead by a shot from no less than six pairings.

Playing an alternate shot format, Dryburgh and Porter posted five birdies, four of which came in a five-hole stretch from the 12th, and a bogey.

The duo hit 11 of 14 fairways, 12 of 18 greens in regulation and recorded 27 putts in their opening salvo.

“Yeah, we obviously have different games,” said Dryburgh as she assessed the splendid day’s work. “Cassie hits it further than me, and I'm nice and down the middle usually.

“We kind of picked the right holes for each other, and I think we gelled really well. We complemented each other really nicely.”

This is the third time that Dryburgh has led or co-led after the first round of the LPGA Tour, the most recent time being at the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship in France.

The pair are playing as the ‘Kilted Koalas’, with Porter, a rookie on the US circuit this year, revealing how it had come about.

”It's really original,” she said, laughing. “I asked ChatGPT. I'm really sorry, I wish I could tell you that I came up with it myself, but I didn't.”

Meanwhile, Gallacher sits just one shot off the lead after he also made a promising start in the 45th US Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

The four-time DP World Tour winner posted a two-under-par 68, leaving him handily-placed as Irishman Padraig Harrington and Australian Mark Hensby set the pace.

“I think it's just getting used to the altitude really,” said Gallacher of his effort. “That's the biggest thing. I think it helped a little bit [from] the rainstorms because it's playing a little bit softer.

“Once you get used to sort of how far the ball is traveling … it made it a little bit easier to hit the fairways. But it's still a great course. You just can't switch off for a second or you hit it [to] the wrong side of the pin and you're doing well not to make bogey”

Greig Hutcheon, the other Scot in the field, sits joint-111th after having to settle for a six-over 76.