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Retief Goosen grabs first-round lead at SAS Championship, seeks second win of 2026
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Retief Goosen makes birdie on No. 18 at SAS Championship
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Written by Staff
World Golf Hall of Fame member Retief Goosen opened with a 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-stroke lead over Richard Green after the first round of the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina.
Retief Goosen, 32-33 – 65 (-7)
- The 57-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member seeks his sixth career win on PGA Tour Champions (165th start)
- Seeks his second win of the 2026 season (21st start)
- Previous win in 2026: Mitsubishi Electric Classic (Modified Stableford scoring)
- Entered the week ranked No. 5 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings.
- Would be his first multi-win season on PGA Tour Champions since joining in 2019
- Looks to become the fourth multi-time winner of the 2026 season
- Would join Zach Johnson (six), Stewart Cink (five) and Steven Alker (four)
- Seeks his first win at the SAS Championship (sixth appearance)
- Best finish: T5 (2023)
- This is his seventh time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA Tour Champions (1-for-6 converting into victory)
- Lone victory: Was T1 at the 2024 Galleri Classic
Other notes
- Richard Green (second) carded a bogey-free, 6-under 66. The 55-year-old seeks his second career win on PGA Tour Champions (98th start).
- Previous win: 2025 Rogers Charity Classic
- The 52-year-old Tag Ridings (third) posted a 5-under 67. He seeks his first win on PGA Tour Champions (40th start).
- Best finish: second (three times); second/2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, second/2025 Galleri Classic, T2/2025 Simmons Bank Championship
- Five players sit T4 at 4 under: Søren Kjeldsen, David Duval, Paul Goydos, Chad Campbell and Freddie Jacobson.
- Goydos has five wins on PGA Tour Champions in 277 starts. The other four players have a combined zero wins on PGA Tour Champions in 238 collective starts.
- The 69-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer (T9) opened with 69 to shoot his age or better for the 51st time on PGA Tour Champions.
- Fred Funk withdrew after the first round.
Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs bubble watch
| Rank entering the week | Current projection |
| 70. Shane Bertsch | 70. Shane Bertsch |
| 71. Heath Slocum | 71. Mathew Goggin |
| 72. Harrison Frazar | 72. Heath Slocum |
| 73. Fred Couples | 73. Harrison Frazar |
| 74. Mathew Goggin | 74. Kirk Triplett |
| 75. Tom Pernice Jr. | 75. Tom Pernice Jr. |
Sprint to St. Louis presented by Compliance Solutions
- The SAS Championship is the fifth and final points-based event in the Sprint to St. Louis presented by Compliance Solutions before the three finalists head to St. Louis.
- The three highest Charles Schwab Cup Points earners among the final five regular-season events will be deemed finalists following the conclusion of the SAS Championship.
- The three finalists will head to next week’s Stifel Charity Classic, with the best finisher among them claiming the $200,000 winner-take-all prize.
Sprint to St. Louis Standings (entering SAS Championship)
| Player | Points | |
| 1 | Zach Johnson | 708,755 |
| 2 | Steven Alker | 539,755 |
| 3 | Vaughn Taylor | 422,245 |
| 4 | Ryan Armour | 367,040 |
| 5 | Ben Crane | 345,160 |
| 6 | Tag Ridings | 297,660 |
| 7 | Alex Cejka | 278,329 |
| 8 | Michael Wright | 262,473 |
| 9 | Robert Karlsson | 240,701 |
| 10 | Henrik Stenson | 210,210 |
