On a gorgeous, sun-splashed Thursday, the first round of the U.S. Senior is underway on the East Course at The Broadmoor.

6:40 p.m.

Stewart Cink has used back-to-back birdies to join Padraig Harrington and Mark Hensby at 3-under par and atop the leaderboard.

Cink, who entered the week as the favorite among oddsmakers, has two holes remaining in his opening round. Harrington has one.

Hensby was among the first players out in the morning and posted a 67.

6:10 p.m.

Padraig Harrington rolled in a long putt for bogey, minimizing the damage on what looked like it might be a disastrous No. 15.

Harrington lost a wayward tee shot and went back to the tee box, where he was hitting his third shot. He again missed the fairway, but hit onto the green and salvaged a five.

He is now tied at 3-under with Mark Hensby.

4 p.m.

Irishman Padraig Harrington moved to the top of the leaderboard with his fourth birdie on the front nine.

Harrington (-4) has birdies at 2, 3, 6 and 8 as he moves to the ninth hole.

The 53-year-old Harrington won the U.S. Senior Open in 2022. He is a three-time major winner, having captured the British Open in 2007 and ’08 and the PGA Championship, also coming in 2008.

3:30 p.m.

Mark Hensby has company at 3-under.

Padraig Harrington and Scott Hend each made birdies at homes 2, 3 and 6 and, through six homes, have tied the leader.

1:30 p.m.

The afternoon groups have begun to tee off.

Mark Hensby of Australia posted the best score of the morning: a 3-under-par 67. Five players — Americans Bob Estes and Ken Tanigawa, Stephen Gallacher of Scotland, Freddie Jacobson of Sweden and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark — are a stroke back at 2 under.

Parker’s Shane Bertsch is tied for seventh at 1 under in a group that includes Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, who won last weekend’s Kaulig Companies Championship in Akron, Ohio.

After making seven birdies on the front nine to open a sizable lead, Hensby struggled on the back nine with five bogeys.

1:15 p.m.

A weather warning has been issued. Play at the moment continues.

11:50 a.m.

Parker’s Stephen Bertsch has jumped into contention with consecutive birdies on the back nine.

Bertsch holed a putt from the fringe on No. 16 to move into a tie for third place at 2-under par.

Born in Denver, the 55-year-old Bertsch is a one-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions, emerging from a playoff to win the 2020 Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge.

Bertsch trails leader Mark Hensby (4-under through 13) and Thomas Bjorn (3-under through 12).

11:30 a.m.

The leader is Mark Hensby at 5-under par through 12 holes.

The Australian blazed through the front nine, needing only 30 shots to make the turn at 6 under, before posting consecutive bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11.

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark is two strokes back, with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and American Steve Flesch three back. Only 10 players are currently under par.

Hensby, who has recorded eight birdies, is flirting with history at The Broadmoor. The best opening-round score at a U.S. Senior Open played on the East Course is 5-under 65, by Fred Funk in 2008.

A field of 156 players is scheduled to tee off Thursday. The tournament continues through Sunday.

This is the third U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, following 2008 and 2018.