Ernie Els leads by one at Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Things to Know

• Ernie Els holds a one-shot lead over Vijay Singh after opening with a bogey-free 8-under 64.
• Four of the six World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field (Els, Singh, Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer) are T3 or better on the leaderboard after the first round.
• Ten of the 42 players in the field didn’t record a bogey or worse in the first round.

Ernie Els, 32-32 – 64 (-8)

• Matches his second-lowest round on PGA TOUR Champions (115 rounds)
• Lowest round was 63 (2021 Dominion Energy Charity Classic, Round 3)
• Holds the solo first-round lead for the first time on PGA TOUR Champions (37th start)
• Was T1 after the first round of the 2021 Boeing Classic
• Seeking his third win on PGA TOUR Champions
• Won the 2020 Hoag Classic and 2020 SAS Championship
• Finished T2 at the 2020 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in his debut at this event
• This is his third start at Hualalai Golf Course, finishing T11 last year

Vijay Singh, 32-33 – 65 (-7)

• Is in second place or better after the first round for the sixth time on PGA TOUR Champions, and first time since 2018 The Ally Challenge
• Shot his second-lowest round at Hualalai Golf Course (16 rounds)
• Lowest round was 64 (2016, Round 2)
• His best finish in five previous starts at this event is T8 (2016)
• Owns four wins on PGA TOUR Champions, including three in the 2018 season

Other Notes

• Five players are T3 at 6-under, including three-time tournament champion Bernhard Langer, defending champion Darren Clarke, 2021 runner-up Retief Goosen, Steven Alker and Stephen Ames.
• This is the 22nd time in 32 rounds on PGA TOUR Champions that Alker has been inside the top 10 on the leaderboard
• Reigning PGA TOUR Champions Rookie of the Year Jim Furyk and two-time tournament champion

• Miguel Angel Jimenez are T8 after posting 5-under 67.

• Making his debut on PGA TOUR Champions, David Duval shot 2-over 74 and sits T39.

• Making his 22nd start at Hualalai Golf Course, 2010 champion Tom Watson carded 6-over 78 and sits 41st.
• Making his first start since suffering a season-ending ankle injury in July, Scott McCarron is T37 after posting 1-over 73.
• The par-5 10th played as the easiest hole on Thursday (-0.786 average) despite being the lone par 5 to not yield an eagle.