PGA Professional Bob Sowards is one of 35 PGA Professionals who earned a spot in the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
And after the first round at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, he was tied for the lead with Alex Cejka following 3-under 67s.
Sowards, 52, was one of the groupings that had to finish their first round on Friday morning and was also the first time out in the second round.
Due to a significant weather delay in the first round, starting times in the second round were delayed until 9:33 a.m. CT.
But there was Sowards, putting a bow on a rather clean first-round scorecard at Southern Hills Country Club. He called his play “solid” and was consistent enough – he said he didn’t put himself in any trouble spots, which are always lurking at Southern Hills.
Although Sowards, who turned professional in 1990, has played a ton of big tournaments as a seasoned PGA Professional, he said he still gets butterflies.
“You're always nervous, even if it's a section tournament, a small tournament… you're always nervous starting out,” said Sowards. “If I keep playing well, I'm sure I'll be more nervous as we go, but I've played well being nervous before, so I look forward to it.”
He has played the PGA Championship 11 times, including last year at TPC Harding Park, but has never found the weekend. Sowards finished 21st two years ago at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill, though, and said he “absolutely” took something away from that result.
“Oak Hill was a course that beat me up in the two PGAs I played, and I know I've improved a lot since then,” he said, “so try and just really trying to play -- it's a cliche -- but one shot at a time.”
Sowards, who added two birdies early in his second round prior to most of the field getting going, also said he has a secondary motivation this week and a big-time goal.
“My daughter’s going to college, so pay for a couple years of college, hopefully,” said Sowards, “that’s the goal.”
