Darren Clarke, Kevin Sutherland share lead at Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Things to Know

• Kevin Sutherland and 2021 champion Darren Clarke share the first-round lead, as five players sit one stroke back.
  
  
• Sutherland and Clarke were two of five players to go bogey-free on Thursday, along with Justin Leonard (T3) Corey Pavin (T3) and Bernhard Langer (T8).
  

Kevin Sutherland, 32-33 – 65 (-7)

• This is his sixth time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions
  
  
• Is 1-for-5 converting those into victories (2019 Rapiscan Systems Classic)
  
  
• 58-year-old seeks his sixth win on PGA TOUR Champions (173rd start)
  
  
• Last win: 2021 Cologuard Classic
  
  
• Making his fifth start at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, his best finish is T4 (2021)
  

Darren Clarke, 33-32 – 65 (-7)

• This is his fifth time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions
  
  
• Is 1-for-4 converting those into victories (2021 Sanford International)
  
  
• 54-year-old seeks his fifth win on PGA TOUR Championship (83rd start)
  
  
• Last win: 2022 Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex
  
  
• Making his third start at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, he won in 2021
  
  
• His first-round scoring average at Hualalai is 64.66
  

Other Notes

• World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els is one of five players T3 after opening with 6-under 66, along with Corey Pavin, Mike Weir, Alex Cejka and Justin Leonard, who is making his fifth start on PGA TOUR Champions.
  
  
• Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, a three-time winner at this event (2015, 2020, 2022), shot 5-under 67 and sits T8.
  
  
• Three-time Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai winner Bernhard Langer (2009, 2014, 2017) carded a bogey-free 5-under 67 and sits T8.
  
  
• Making his 300th start on PGA TOUR Champions, David Frost is T11 after carding 4-under 68.
  
  
• Reigning PGA TOUR Champions Player of the Year Steven Alker opened with 3-under 69 and sits T17, along with 2018 champion Jerry Kelly and 2019 champion Tom Lehman.