Y.E. Yang rides eight birdies to top of Ascension Charity Classic leaderboard

1 Min Read

Daily Wrap Up

Written by Staff @ChampionsTour

The Ascension Charity Classic is being contested for the fourth time, each time at Norwood Hills Country Club.
Defending champion Steve Flesch sits T34 (70/-1) and five back after the opening round.
Three of the four first-round co-leaders from last year’s Ascension Charity Classic sit T2 or better on the leaderboard (Y.E. Yang/first, Kevin Sutherland/T2, Tim O’Neal/T2); the other, Billy Mayfair sits T53.
Steven Alker, at No. 3 the highest-ranked player in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, posts 3-over 74, tying his highest round this season (74/R3/2024 Kaulig Companies Championship).

South Korean birdies four of his last five holes to post 65, one stroke shy of his season-low 64 (R3/Kaulig Companies Championship).
Holds the first-round lead/co-lead for the fourth time in his career on PGA TOUR Champions and for the second consecutive year at the Ascension Charity Classic; 0-for-3 in converting previous first-round leads/co-leads into victories.
Seeks his first PGA TOUR Champions title in his 72nd start; owns two runner-up results (2022 Ascension Charity Classic, 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship).
Both his PGA TOUR victories came in 2009 – The Honda Classic and the PGA Championship, where he defeated Tiger Woods by three strokes.
Makes third appearance at the Ascension Charity Classic (2nd/2022, T3/2023); seven rounds at Norwood Hills Country Club: 68-66-66-64-66-70-65

After three rounds in the 70’s en route to a T65 finish at this event last year, Boo Weekley opens with 5-under 66, his fourth round of 66 or better this season, including two (65, 63) at last month’s Rogers Charity Classic where he finished T10, his lone top-10 on PGA Tour Champions.
2024 Trophy Hassan II winner Ricardo Gonzalez was one of four players with a bogey-free opening-round score (Shane Bertsch, Chris DiMarco, Ken Tanigawa).
In his 200th PGA TOUR Champions start, Kevin Sutherland seeks his sixth PGA TOUR Champions title, but first since the 2021 Cologuard Classic.
Two-time PGA TOUR major champion Angel Cabrera looks to improve on his best PGA TOUR Champions result – T5 at the 2024 Senior Open Championship.
Ascension ambassador Tim O’Neal makes his third appearance at the Ascension Charity Classic (T33/2022, T8/2023); one of four players to make an eagle-2 at the 301-yard par-4 11th hole (Ken Duke, Kirk Triplett, Michael Wright).
With a 3-under 68, 70-year-old St. Louis, Missouri native Jay Haas (T11) shoots his age or better for the 20th time on PGA TOUR Champions.
Monday qualifier and former University of Missouri golfer Jason Schultz sits T45 (71/E) in his fourth PGA TOUR Champions start, while St. Louis, Missouri native Jay Delsing sits T73 (76/+5)