PHOENIX — Stewart Cink shot a bogey-free 64 to move to 7-under par on Thursday to take a one-shot lead in the first round of the Charles Schwab Champions tournament that ends the PGA Tour’s season of championships.
In the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings, Cink had back-to-back birdies at Phoenix Country Club and finished third behind Steven Alker and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Jerry Kelly overcame bogey with eight birdies on the par-4 10th for a 65.
Alker, two shots back with Tommy Gainey, Jason Caron and Steve Flesch, shot a 66. Jimenez was tied for 15th after a 69.
Alke won the 2023 Schwab Cup and is the defending Schwab Championship champion, having won last year’s championship as Bernhard Langer won the season title. The 54-year-old New Zealander, a two-time PGA Tour winner this year, leads the points race heading into the season finale, with Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn also expected to compete for the title.
Bjorn shot 68 and was tied for eighth, while Els shot 70 and was 1 under par and tied for 19th.
Cink birdied the par-5 first hole and shot a 33, 3 under. He birdied two of the first three holes on the back nine before finishing with a stellar performance at the end.
Alke also birdied the first hole, shot 33 in the front, and caught two more birdies in the back, trailing Cink in the Schwab Cup.
