Despite double, Darren Clarke shoots 7 under to lead opening round of Stifel Charity Classic

Darren Clarke opened with a 7-under 64, tying the tournament's first-round scoring record, to take a one-stroke lead over Mark Hensby after the first round of the Stifel Charity Classic, the opening event of the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.

Darren Clarke, 32-32 – 64 (-7)

Charles Schwab Cup standings – Start: 12th Projected: fifth

• Carded 7-under 64 to tie the tournament's first-round scoring record (last: Stewart Cink, 2025), making nine birdies, the most in the field, against one double bogey (No. 13)
  • Previous event low: 4-under 67 (2022/Round 2, 2024/Round 2)
• His one-stroke lead ties the largest 18-hole lead in tournament history (Y.E. Yang, 2024; Stewart Cink, 2025)
• This is his eighth time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA Tour Champions and second of the 2026 season (2-for-7 converting those into victories)
  • 2026 Chubb Classic: shared the 18-hole lead with Michael Wright after an opening 65; finished T32
• The 58-year-old seeks his seventh win on PGA Tour Champions (171st start) and second of the 2026 season (21st start)
  • Previous win of 2026: American Family Insurance Championship (team event, with Ben Crane); last individual win: 2022 Senior Open Championship
• 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 Stifel Charity Classic (fifth appearance)
  • Best finish: T8 (2024)

Other notes

• Mark Hensby (second) carded bogey-free, 6-under 65 after starting on No. 10. The 55-year-old seeks his second win on PGA Tour Champions in his 100th career start.
  • Previous win: 2023 Invited Celebrity Classic (playoff)
  • Entered the week No. 62 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and is currently projected 36th
• Rookie Vaughn Taylor (T3) posted 5-under 66 in his first appearance at the Stifel Charity Classic. The 50-year-old seeks his second win on PGA Tour Champions (20th start).
  • Previous win: 2026 FURYK & FRIENDS (playoff), two weeks ago
• Sixty-year-old Tim Petrovic (T3) eagled the par-5 eighth, his 17th hole of the day, en route to 5-under 66. He seeks his first win on PGA Tour Champions (228th start) and owns 11 runners-up finishes.
  • Entered the week No. 60 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and is currently projected 40th
• Defending Charles Schwab Cup champion and current No. 1 Stewart Cink (fifth) carded a bogey-free, 4-under 67 with birdies at Nos. 8, 11, 14 and 17.
• Twelve players sit T6 at 3 under: Steve Allan, Ángel Cabrera, Greg Chalmers, Vijay Singh, Thongchai Jaidee, Rory Sabbatini, Jamie Donaldson, Scott Parel, Alex Cejka, Zach Johnson, Steven Alker and Shane Bertsch.
  • Singh, 63, winner of last week's SAS Championship (his sixth win on PGA Tour Champions), makes five birdies against back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11.
  • Johnson and Alker, Nos. 2 and 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and two of the three Sprint to St. Louis finalists, both post 68.
• Past champions in the field: 2022 champion Padraig Harrington (T18) and 2023 champion Steve Flesch (T18) opened with 69; 2021 champion David Toms (T29) posted 70; 2024 champion Y.E. Yang (T39) carded 71.
  • Harrington holed out for eagle at the par-4 first (384 yards) and birdied his final hole (No. 18)
• Four bogey-free rounds on the day (Hensby, Cink, Parel, Richard Green) and five eagles: Petrovic and Tim O'Neal at the par-5 eighth, Sabbatini and George McNeill at the par-5 15th and Harrington at the par-4 first.

Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs

• This week's Stifel Charity Classic is the first of the three Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs events and features 68 of the top 72 in the standings. The top 54 after this week advance to next week's Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the top 36 after that advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona (Nov. 12-15).
  • Mark Hensby (second), who entered the week 62nd, and Tim Petrovic (T3), who entered 60th, are currently projected to move inside the top 54 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings (36th and 40th).
  • Justin Leonard (T48), who entered the week 52nd, and J.J. Henry (T61), who entered 53rd, are currently projected outside the top 54 (55th and 57th).
  • Chad Campbell (T39), who entered the week 50th, is currently projected 54th.

Sprint to St. Louis presented by Compliance Solutions

• The three Sprint to St. Louis presented by Compliance Solutions finalists, the three highest Charles Schwab Cup points earners across the final five regular-season events, are competing this week for the $200,000 winner-take-all prize, which goes to the finalist with the best finish at the Stifel Charity Classic.