Zach Johnson scored 15 points in Modified Stableford to take the first-round lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
Zach Johnson’s PGA TOUR Champions run keeps getting better.
The 50-year-old rookie opened the Mitsubishi Electric Classic presented by Vensure with 15 points in the Modified Stableford format Friday, taking a one-point lead after the first round at TPC Sugarloaf.
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Johnson, already a winner this season at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, is chasing his second PGA TOUR Champions victory in just his fifth start.
He entered the week No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and has finished inside the top 10 in every senior start since turning 50 on Feb. 24.
TPC Sugarloaf has been good to Johnson before. He won the BellSouth Classic there twice on the PGA TOUR, taking titles in 2004 and 2007. Now, he’s in position to add another trophy at the same venue.
Thongchai Jaidee and Ben Crane are right behind him at 14 points. Jaidee, 56, is seeking his third PGA TOUR Champions title and first win of 2026.
Crane, also 50, is still looking for his first senior victory, but his form has been sharp. He’s been inside the top six on the leaderboard in each of his last five rounds.
A strong group sits two points off the lead at 12, including Retief Goosen, Paul Stankowski and K.J. Choi. Goosen also has history at TPC Sugarloaf, having won the 2002 BellSouth Classic.
Defending champion Jerry Kelly opened with 11 points in his 200th PGA TOUR Champions start, joining tournament host Stewart Cink in a tie for seventh.
Cink, the Charles Schwab Cup leader, is trying to become the 10th player in PGA TOUR Champions history to win three straight starts.
David Toms, the 2026 Chubb Classic champion, withdrew before the opening round and was replaced by Brett Quigley.
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