After round one, six golfers are tied at the top of the leaderboard at the Jones Cup Senior Invitational at Sea Island Golf Club, the Seaside Course, in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Jack Larkin Sr. of Atlanta, Ga., Chris Hall of Acworth, Ga., Mark Sanchez of Kentfield, Calif., John Derrick of Waco, Tex., Stan Humphries of Monroe, La., and Patrick Stayer of Fort Meyers, Fla. all shot 1-under 69 to hold a six-way tie for the lead after the opening round. 

Dennis Martin of Los Angeles, Calif., and Bill Hodges of Thomasville, Ga., are T7 at even par and just one shot back of the leaders. 12 golfers are T9 at 1-over, and 31 golfers are within three shots of the lead, setting up for a thrilling last 36 holes. 

Larkin Sr. had a great 2023, winning the 2023 Georgia Senior Championship and making the match-play portion of the U.S. Senior Amateur. He also finished in solo second place at the 2023 Lupton Senior Invitational, second place at the Chanticleer Senior Invitational, and T6 at the Jones Cup Senior. He finished in the final 32 of the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur. 

Hall won the 2022 Golden Isles Senior Invitational and the 2022 Reynolds Senior Invitational.

Larkin, Derrick, and Sanchez recorded two birdies and one bogey, Stayer and Hall finished with three birdies and two bogeys, and Humphries finished with four birdies and three bogeys.

The 2023 champion Bob Royak of Alpharetta, Ga., is 2-over and T22. Royak is the highest-ranked player in the field, currently No. 2 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings. No. 3 ranked Doug Hanzel of Savannah Ga., is also 2-over and T22 with Royak. 

The Jones Cup Senior boasts one of the best senior fields in the country year in and year out, with nine of the top 10 golfers in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings are in the field.