Rory Sabbatini leads by two after opening-round 65 at Boeing Classic

In his tournament debut, Rory Sabbatini leads by two over Steven Alker and 2017 champion Jerry Kelly at the 21st Boeing Classic after a bogey-free, 7-under 65.

Rory Sabbatini, 33-32 – 65 (-7)

• Opened with a bogey-free, 7-under 65, playing his first 14 holes in 7 under after starting on No. 10
  • Birdied three consecutive holes around the turn (Nos. 17, 18 and 1)
  • Hit 16 of 18 greens with 27 putts; went 2-for-2 on sand saves and scrambling
• One of two bogey-free rounds Friday (Tim Herron, T4; 68)
• The 50-year-old seeks his first win on PGA TOUR Champions (11th start) in his rookie season
  • Best finish: third/T3 (twice)
    • third (2026 Kaulig Companies Championship)
    • T3 (2026 American Family Insurance Championship) – team event with partner Brian Gay
  • Turned 50 years old on April 2; making his first start at the Boeing Classic
• Was the 36-hole co-leader at the Portugal Invitational two weeks ago in his most recent start, closing with 4-over 76 to finish T13
• Looks to become the fifth first-time winner of the 2026 season on PGA TOUR Champions
  • Previous instances: Zach Johnson (James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational), Boo Weekley (Insperity Invitational), Scott Hend (Trophy Hassan II) and Ben Crane (American Family Insurance Championship) – team event with partner Darren Clarke
• Won six times during his PGA TOUR career, with his last victory coming at the 2011 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
  • A victory on Sunday would end a winless drought of 15 years, 5 months and 10 days
• Won the silver medal for Slovakia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, closing with a final-round 61, the lowest round in Olympic men’s golf history
• Entered the week ranked No. 22 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Other notes

• Steven Alker (T2) carded seven birdies against two bogeys. The two-time Charles Schwab Cup champion (2022, 2024) and 2022 Senior PGA Championship winner seeks his 12th win on PGA TOUR Champions, his second victory of the 2026 season and his first at the Boeing Classic. He entered the week ranked No. 9 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
• Jerry Kelly (T2) carded six birdies against a lone bogey. The 2017 champion seeks his second win at the Boeing Classic (eighth start) and his 15th on PGA TOUR Champions after capturing last month’s ISPS HANDA Senior Open presented by Rolex at Gleneagles, his third career senior major and first win of the 2026 season. He entered the week ranked No. 19 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
  • Kelly would be the fourth multiple winner in tournament history, joining Tom Kite (two), Bernhard Langer (two) and Stephen Ames (two). His 2017 winning total of 19-under 197 shares the tournament 54-hole scoring record with Stephen Ames (2023).
• Six players share fourth at 4-under 68: Stewart Cink, Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch, Tim Herron, George McNeill and Vaughn Taylor.
• Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink (T4) seeks his ninth win on PGA TOUR Champions and his fifth victory of the 2026 season; a win would make him the first player with five wins in a season on PGA TOUR Champions since Steve Stricker (six) in 2023.
  • Cink has led the Charles Schwab Cup standings since winning the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. He owns two of this season’s senior majors (Senior PGA Championship, Regions Tradition) and recorded his third runner-up finish of the season at the Portugal Invitational two weeks ago.
  • Cink finished runner-up here a year ago after holding the 36-hole lead.
• Darren Clarke (T4) celebrated his 58th birthday with a 4-under 68. The 2011 The Open champion won this season’s American Family Insurance Championship team title with partner Ben Crane and captured the 2022 Senior Open Championship.
• Tim Herron (T4) posted the day’s only other bogey-free round with four birdies; George McNeill (T4), No. 6 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, carded a 68 with seven birdies.
• Defending champion Steve Allan (T10) opened with 3-under 69. A year ago, the Australian closed with a bogey-free, 7-under 65 to erase a four-stroke final-round deficit and defeat Cink by one.
• Seven past champions teed it up Friday: Jerry Kelly (2017), Steve Allan (2025), Scott Parel (2018), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2022), Rod Pampling (2020-21/72), Stephen Ames (2023-24) and Billy Andrade (2015)
• Seattle native Fred Couples (T21) carded 1-under 71.