EDMOND - Curtis Strange hasn't won an official tour event since the 1989 U.S. Open.
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That seems, uh, strange.
But it seemed perfectly normal to see his name among the leaders after the first round of the 67th Senior PGA Championship.
The man who won back-to-back Opens in 1988 and 1989 opened with a 2- under-par 69 in docile conditions at Oak Tree Golf Club and trails leader Gil Morgan by three.
The leaderboard is a welcome site these days for the 51-year-old Strange, who hasn't won in his last 286 starts on the PGA and Champions tours.
When the PGA Champi onship was held here in 1988, Strange was on top of the golf world.
Tom Watson remembers.
"He hit the ball so straight," said Watson, who shot 68 Thursday. "That was the beautiful thing about Curtis' game. It was fairways and greens."
Former Wake Forest teammate and current housemate Jay Haas knows Strange better than anyone, perhaps including Strange.
"He just didn't give anything away," Haas said of the prime-time Strange. "He hated to make a bogey worse than anybody. He was intense. He had his game face on. He didn't let anybody get in his way.
"That was his schtick. That was how he operated. He never seemed to get into any trouble. He was steady, in the fairway all the time. He was relentless."
Strange and Haas are residing with Bob Tway on the Country Club side of Oak Tree. The household is 5-under with Haas at 3-under.
It's no surprise Haas is in contention. He has won his last two stops on the Champions Tour and is No. 2 on this year's money list.
Hoping some of Haas' karma might rub off, Strange paid close attention playing alongside his longtime friend during Tuesday's practice round.
"His tempo and rhythm are so good," Strange said. "We've only done this for 35 years together."
Strange marvels at Haas' mindset.
"He's so confident in the way he prepares for this event," Strange said. "I'm worried about swing mechanics, things like that. He's worrying about how he's going to play certain holes and really practicing on the golf course, which is what you should do.
"It's nice to hang out with somebody who's playing so well."
Strange readily admits he needs to play, not think. Oddly enough, facing a mean golf course might lead to a cure.
"This golf course is so hard it keeps you from worrying about yourself so much," Strange said. "You have to worry about the course and what's next ... You just go play."
Strange used to do more than just play.
In 1990, he was consumed in a quest to become the first three-peat winner of the U.S. Open since Willie Anderson (1903-1905).
"I think he put a lot into winning the third one in a row," Haas said. "When he didn't, he kind of took a breath. Then he kind of lost his edge a little bit and couldn't get it back."
A bulldog mentality is what made Strange a five-time Ryder Cup player and the 2002 Ryder Cup team captain.
But now, at times, it appears Strange is beating himself up.
"I guess you could say that about me since forever," Strange said. "I've always thought that got me to where I was. That got me to a certain point and got the max out of my game. Did it ever hurt me? Probably. But did it help me? Yes, very much so."
Strange doesn't exactly exude confidence these days, but another round like Thursday could bring back the bulldog.
Particularly if that day is today.
John Rohde:475-3314, jrohde@oklahoman.com; John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 6-7 p.m. on WWLS-FM 104.9 and WWLS-AM 640, and on KYAL-AM 1550 in Tulsa.
