The PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending extravaganza, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, is off to a scintillating start as Stewart Cink scorched the Phoenix Country Club layout with a blistering 7-under 64 to seize a three-shot lead after the first round. The 2009 Open Champion, who captured his maiden senior victory earlier this year at the Ally Challenge, sizzled from the very first tee.
Cink, known for his unflappable demeanor and snazzy bucket hats, wasted little time in asserting himself, sprinkling eight birdies across his bogey-free card. The 51-year-old struck the ball with precision and wielded a red-hot putter, needing only 25 strokes on the greens.
I just kept plugging. I wasn’t on with every part of my game, but my attitude was great, stayed in the present and just been working really hard on not getting too emotionally invested in the rounds and just letting it unfold.
Stewart Cink
Champions Heavyweights in Hot Pursuit
While Cink’s sterling play earned him some breathing room, a squadron of Champions Tour stalwarts are lined up right behind, ready to pounce. K.J. Choi, the silky-smooth swinging Korean, finds himself alone in second after a tidy 67.
A logjam at 3-under 68 includes major champions and senior circuit mainstays like Jerry Kelly, Paul Broadhurst, and three-time winner this season Stephen Ames. The ever-dangerous Ernie Els, who leads the season-long points race, lurks just five shots adrift after an opening 69.
You don’t want to shoot yourself in the leg in the first round. You want to be somewhere around the top.
Stephen Ames
Defending Champ Alker Solid in Opener
Steven Alker, the defending champion and second in the standings, posted a workmanlike 70 to position himself nicely heading into Friday’s second round. The Kiwi has enjoyed a dream run since joining the 50-and-over circuit, notching six victories including a major at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Stricker Sits Out Schwab Showdown
Noticeably absent from the elite 36-player field is Steve Stricker, the lone qualifier who opted not to tee it up. The 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup captain has never competed in a PGA Tour Champions postseason event despite his eligibility and remarkable record on the senior scene.
With a $1 million bonus up for grabs to the season-long points champion and the pressure mounting, Cink appears unperturbed, strolling the fairways with his signature smile and easy-going vibe. But beneath the affable exterior lies a steely competitor intent on capping off a resurgent campaign in style.
The stage is set for a scintillating finish to the PGA Tour Champions season in the Valley of the Sun. Will Cink convert his opening brilliance into a second senior trophy? Can Els fend off the pack to claim the coveted Schwab Cup? The next 54 holes will be riveting theater as the legends of the game duel in the desert.
