As storm clouds just began to poke their heads over the Cheyenne Mountain, Mark Hensby slumped into his seat at a podium up the range from The Broadmoor, the unlikely early face of

Mark Hensby made seven birdies over the first nine holes Thursday at the U.S. Senior Open, and even after the greens at the Broadmoor and the major-championship conditions caught up with him, he left the course with the early first-round lead.

Australian Mark Hensby is proving to be the third wheel in the power pairing of Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink at the US Senior Open.