Stewart Cink shoots 64 to take first-round lead in Charles Schwab Cup Championship

PHOENIX (AP) — Stewart Cink shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the final PGA TOUR Champions event of the season.

The 51-year-old Cink had eight birdies and a bogey at Phoenix Country Club. The Ally Challenge winner in August in Michigan for his first senior title, Cink entered the week 12th in the season standings.

“I just kept plugging,” Cink said. “I wasn’t on with every part of my game, but I was 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.”

K.J. Choi was second after a 67. Jerry Kelly, Paul Broadhurst and Stephen Ames followed at 68.

“You don’t want to shoot yourself in the leg in the first round,” said Ames, a three-time winner this year who is third in the standings. “You want to be somewhere around the top.”

Season leader Ernie Els opened with a 69 as he tries to hold onto the top spot and a $1 million bonus.

Bernhard Langer also was at 69 with Rod Pampling, Joe Durant and Alex Cejka.

Defending tournament champion Steven Alker shot 70. He's No. 2 in the standings.

The top 36 players on the points list qualified, with Steve Stricker the lone qualifier not in the field. He has never played a postseason event on the Champions Tour.

Things to know

• Seeking his second win of the season, Stewart Cink opened with 7-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead over K.J. Choi after the first round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
• After the first round, Ernie Els (T6), who entered the week atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings, is projected to win the Charles Schwab Cup.

Stewart Cink, 31-33 – 64 (-7)

Charles Schwab Cup standings – Start: 12th / Projected: third

• This is his second-lowest round on PGA TOUR Champions (47th round).
  • Low 18-hole score on PGA TOUR Champions: 62 (2024 Cologuard Classic, first round).
• This is his second time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions.
  • Is 0-for-1 converting those into victories.
• The 51-year-old seeks his second win on PGA TOUR Champions (15th start).
  • Previous win: 2024 Ally Challenge.
• Making his 11th start of the 2024 season on PGA TOUR Champions, he has one win and eight top-10 finishes.
• Is projected to move up to No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after starting the week No. 12.
• With a win, he would become the sixth multi-time winner of the 2024 season on PGA TOUR Champions.
• Is making his first appearance at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Other Notes

• K.J. Choi (second) birdied three of his last six holes en route to 4-under 67. The 54-year-old seeks his second win of the 2024 season after capturing The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
• Seeking his Champions Tour-leading fourth win of the 2024 season, Charles Schwab No. 3 Stephen Ames sits T3 after shooting 68. The 60-year-old won the Chubb Classic, Mitsubishi Electric Classic and Boeing Classic earlier this year. His three wins are tied with Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington for the most by any player in 2024.
• Seeking his third win of the 2024 season, Paul Broadhurst carded 3-under 68 and sits T3. The 59-year-old won the Invited Celebrity Classic and PURE Insurance Championship earlier this year and holds seven victories overall on PGA TOUR Champions.
• Seeking his second win of the 2024 season, Jerry Kelly (T3) opened with 68. The 57-year-old owns 12 victories overall on PGA TOUR Champions, including the SAS Championship earlier this year.
• Charles Schwab Cup leader Ernie Els is one of five players sitting T6 at 2-under along with fellow World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer, Rod Pampling, Joe Durant and Alex Cejka. Els and Durant were the only two players without a bogey on Thursday.
• Defending champion Steven Alker and 2022 champion Padraig Harrington are among the players T11 at 1- under. Alker, who entered the week No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, won the Charles Schwab Cup in 2022.
• Playing as a single in the first tee time of the day, Cameron Percy (T11) played in two hours and 45 minutes.

Race for the Charles Schwab Cup

The Charles Schwab Cup offers $2.1 million in prize money to the top-five finishers at season’s end. The prize money will be distributed in lump sum deposits into a Schwab brokerage account to be invested into a Schwab Managed Portfolio (SMP), if eligible. The winner of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup will be awarded $1 million and the second through fifth place finishers will receive prize money of $500,000, $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000, respectively.

Projected Charles Schwab Cup standings after the first round