PHOENIX — Stewart Cink shot a bogey-free, 7-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Championship.
Third behind Steven Alker and Miguel Angel Jiménez in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race, Cink closed with consecutive birdies at Phoenix Country Club.
Jerry Kelly overcame a bogey on the par-4 10th with eight birdies to shoot 65.
Alker was two shots back at 66 with Tommy Gainey, Jason Caron and Steve Flesch. Jimenez was tied for 15th after a 69.
Alker won the 2023 Schwab Cup and is the defending Schwab Championship winner, earning last year’s tournament title as Bernhard Langer won the season championship. The 54-year-old Kiwi won twice on the PGA Tour Champions this year to enter the season-finale leading the points race, with Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn also in contention to win the title.
Bjorn shot 68 to tie for eighth and Els is tied for 19th after a 1-under 70.
Cink opened with a birdie on the par-5 first hole and made the turn in 3-under 33. He birdied two of the first three holes on the back nine before the closing flourish.
Alker also birdied the opening hole to shoot 33 on the front and added two more on the back to drop behind Cink in the Schwab Cup race.
