Ricardo Gonzalez and rookie Søren Kjeldsen share the first-round lead after each opened with 3-under 67 at the Kaulig Companies Championship.
First-Round Notes
2025 Kaulig Companies Championship
Firestone Country Club South Course | Akron, Ohio
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Course Setup: Par 70 / 7,045 yards
Round 1 Scoring Average: 72.988
Weather: Cloudy and rainy. High of 72. Winds W at 14-18 mph. Gusts to 30 mph.
Interviews: Transcripts
Leaderboard
Second-Round Tee Times
ROUND 1 TOP SCORES
T1 Søren Kjeldsen -3 35-32 – 67
T1 Ricardo Gonzalez -3 31-36 – 67
T3 Steven Alker -2 31-37 – 68
T3 Retief Goosen -2 33-35 – 68
T3 Stewart Cink -2 34-34 – 68
Things to Know
Play was suspended for 59 minutes due to lightning from 1:50 p.m. to 2:49 p.m. ET.
Søren Kjeldsen, 35-32 – 67 (-3)
– The 50-year-old seeks his first win on PGA TOUR Champions (fourth start)
T8 (Senior PGA Championship)
P2 (Principal Charity Classic)
T2 (American Family Insurance Championship – team event with Alex Cejka)
– Turned 50 on May 17 after earning medalist honors at Q-School (Final Stage) in December 2024
– Looks to become the fifth first-time winner of the 2025 season on PGA TOUR Champions
– Previous instances: Justin Leonard (Chubb Classic); Steve Allan, (The Galleri Classic); Ángel Cabrera (James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational); Thomas Bjørn (American Family Insurance Championship – team event with Darren Clarke)
– This is his first time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions
– Previous best 18-hole position: T7 (Senior PGA Championship) – finished T8
– In three appearances at Firestone Country Club for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he finished T68 (2009), T12 (2015) and T42 (2016)
– This is his second appearance in a senior major (T8/Senior PGA Championship) and debut at the Kaulig Companies Championship
Ricardo Gonzalez, 31-36 – 67 (-3)
– The 55-year-old seeks his second win on PGA TOUR Champions (49th start)
– Previous win: 2024 Trophy Hassan II
– Seeks his first major title on PGA TOUR Champions
– Best finish in a senior major: T15 (2024 ISPS HANDA Senior Open)
– This is his second time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions (0-for-1)
– T1 at the 2025 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (finished T19)
– Making his 13th start of the 2025 season, he has one top-10 finish
– Best finish: T8 (Principal Charity Classic)
– Making his second appearance at the Kaulig Companies Championship, he finished T40 in 2024
Other Notes
– Charles Schwab No. 3 Steven Alker (T3) bogeyed two of his final four holes (Nos. 15, 17) to card 2-under 68. The 53-year-old seeks his 10th win on PGA TOUR Champions (86th start), second win of the 2025 season (11th start) and second senior major title.
Previous senior major win: 2022 Senior PGA Championship
Previous win of 2025 season: Cologuard Classic (March 7-9)
– Charles Schwab No. 5 Stewart Cink (T3) opened with 68. The 52-year-old seeks his third win on PGA TOUR Champions (26th start) and second win of the 2025 season (11th start).
Previous win: 2025 Insperity Invitational (May 2-4)
Best senior major finish: 3rd (2023 Senior PGA Championship); T3 (2024 Regions Tradition)
Note: won the 2004 WGC-NEC Invitational held at Firestone Country Club and finished runner-up at that event in 2006
– 2019 champion Retief Goosen (T3) posted 2-under 68. The World Golf Hall of Fame member seeks his fourth win on PGA TOUR Champions (133rd start) and first win of the 2025 season (13th start).
Previous win: 2024 Galleri Classic
Best finish of 2025 season: P2 (Insperity Invitational)
– Charles Schwab Cup leader Miguel Angel Jiménez sits T10 after opening with even-par 70.
– Looking to win three consecutive senior majors, Ángel Cabrera shot 1-over 71 and sits T17. Cabrera won the first two majors of the 2025 season (Regions Tradition, Senior PGA Championship).
– No players carded a bogey-free round, and no eagles were recorded on Thursday.
