Stewart Cink, Alex Cejka share lead after Round 1 at Regions Tradition

Fifty-five-year-old Alex Cejka, winner of the 2021 Regions Tradition, and 52-year-old Stewart Cink share the 18-hole lead with matching rounds of 7-under 65 at the 2026 Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama.

Alex Cejka, 65 (7 under)

• Opens with a bogey-free, 7-under 65 for his first 18-hole lead/co-lead since the 2025 James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational (finished T7)
• Marks his eighth 18-hole lead/co-lead in a PGA TOUR Champions event; he is 1-for-7 converting to victory (2021 Senior PGA Championship)
• Posts his lowest 18-hole score in his 15th career round at the Regions Tradition (previous: 66, twice; 2021/Round 3, 2025/Round 1)
• Marks his lowest 18-hole score in a PGA TOUR Champions event since the 2025 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS (65/Round 2)
• Winner of the 2021 Regions Tradition is making his fifth appearance at the event (2022/DQ, 2023/T9, 2025/T12)
• Stands No. 15 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings with two top 10s in seven starts this season (Chubb Classic/T5, James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational/T4)
• Four-time PGA TOUR Champions winner seeking his fifth title and fourth major championship (2021 Regions Tradition, 2021 Senior PGA Championship, 2023 ISPS HANDA Senior Open, 2025 SAS Championship)
  • Last win: 2025 SAS Championship

Stewart Cink, 65 (7 under)

• Reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion makes eight birdies and one bogey to card 7-under 65 for his first 18-hole lead/co-lead since the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship
• Marks his seventh 18-hole lead/co-lead in a PGA TOUR Champions event; he is two-for-six converting to victory (2025 Ally Challenge, 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship)
• Ties his lowest 18-hole score in his ninth career round at the Regions Tradition (2025/Round 1)
• Huntsville, Alabama, native making his third appearance at the Regions Tradition, with his best finish being T3 in 2024, his tournament debut
• Stands No. 1 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings with three wins (Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Hoag Classic, Senior PGA Championship) and six top-10s in as many starts
• Seven-time PGA TOUR Champions winner seeking his first season with four-plus wins; he earned three wins last season en route to becoming the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup champion (Insperity Invitational, The Ally Challenge, Charles Schwab Cup Championship)

Other notes

• Charlie Wi (T3/6 under) cards bogey-free, 6-under 66, his third consecutive opening round of 66 or lower at the Regions Tradition (2024/66, 2025/65); he is seeking his first PGA TOUR Champions win and has finished top-10 in his two most recent appearances at the Regions Tradition (T6/2024, T5/2025).
• Making his tournament debut, Scott Hend (T3/6 under) cards bogey-free, 6-under 66 and stands inside the top five through 18 holes for the first time in what is his 11th career start on PGA TOUR Champions (previous career-high 18-hole position: sixth/2024 ISPS HANDA Senior Open/finished T52).
• Steven Alker (T3/6 under), an 11-time PGA TOUR Champions winner and two-time Charles Schwab Cup winner, is seeking his first victory at the Regions Tradition in his fifth appearance (T3/2022, T28/2023, second/2024, fourth/2025); looking to capture his second victory of the 2026 season (last win: 2026 Cologuard Classic) in his fifth start this season.
• World Golf Hall of Fame member Colin Montgomerie (T6/5 under) cards a bogey-free, 5-under 67, his lowest 18-hole score in a PGA TOUR Champions event since the 2024 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS (67/Round 3); the 62-year-old is seeking his first top-10 finish since back-to-back starts in 2023 (T5/Stifel Charity Classic, T9/Rogers Charity Classic).