Zach Johnson Charges Into Principal Charity Lead

Zach Johnson just turned the Principal Charity Classic into a Sunday street fight.

The Iowa native fired the low round of the day Saturday, a blistering 63, to jump into a three-way tie for the 36-hole lead at 12-under with Brett Quigley and Scott Hend.

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After a weather delay stalled play for 90 minutes at Wakonda Club, Johnson came out looking like a man ready to win at home.

And now the final round has teeth.

Johnson, Quigley and Hend are all at 132 through two rounds, creating the first three-way 36-hole lead in a 54-hole PGA TOUR Champions event since the 2024 DICK’S Open.

With Retief Goosen, Søren Kjeldsen and David Bransdon all one shot back at 11-under, Sunday could get chaotic fast.

For Johnson, the story is simple: he hasn’t cooled off since turning 50.

The two-time major champion is making just his eighth PGA TOUR Champions start and already has one win, the 2026 James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.

He entered the week No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and has finished inside the top 10 in all seven starts since his birthday on Feb. 24.

Johnson’s 63 matched his lowest PGA TOUR Champions round and gave him his best 36-hole score on the circuit.

He’s also trying to become the second multi-time winner of the 2026 season, joining Stewart Cink, who already has four victories.

Quigley’s path is the grittier one. The 56-year-old was the third alternate when the field was released, and now he’s one round away from his third PGA TOUR Champions title.

His last win came at the 2023 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS, and he’s been in this position before, though closing has been the hard part.

He’s 1-for-6 when leading or co-leading entering the final round.

Hend may be the hottest of the trio. In three Champions starts this season, he has finished T3, second and first.

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A win Sunday would make him the first player since Cink to win in back-to-back starts.

Goosen, Kjeldsen and Bransdon are lurking one back, while José María Olazábal remains the only player in the field without a bogey or worse through 36 holes.