The Senior PGA Championship commenced at The Concession Golf Club on April 16, 2026, offering an exciting first round that showcased the remarkable skills of seasoned players. Four golfers emerged as early contenders, each firing a 6-under 66 to share the top position.
Bernhard Langer, now 68 years old, demonstrated his exceptional longevity in the game, marking his 43rd instance of shooting his age or better. His round included seven birdies and an eagle, although it was marred by a double bogey on the par-3 seventh hole.
"It’s fun to shoot my age," Langer said. "Whenever I shoot my age or better, usually I've played some good golf. That's one of the goals these days, especially when you play a difficult golf course, and these greens here are very difficult."
Despite the hiccup at the seventh, Langer remained unfazed, describing his performance as strong overall. "I played really well. Drove it phenomenal for me. Very straight. Hit a lot of greens in regulation and made a couple of putts. Pretty happy with 66," he noted.
Following closely behind him was Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who started brilliantly with five birdies on the front nine. However, a lost ball led to a bogey on the 13th, which slightly hindered his pursuit of the outright lead.
"I’ve been playing on the first nine very solid with chances for birdie almost every hole, apart from hole number six," Jiménez said. He highlighted a particular moment of brilliance with an eagle on the par-5 seventh, recalling, "I hit a beautiful driver... Just on the front of the green and leave me like a 5-meter putt, and I hole the putt for eagle."
Steve Allan’s entry into this leaderboard was unexpected, even for him. Reflecting on his performance, Allan admitted, "My preparation was a little shaky... I didn't have very high expectations today, but it was just a matter of going out there and just trying to see what happened."
Allan was particularly pleased with avoiding bogeys over his round, stating, "It’s good any time you can do that, especially on a place like this... Luckily, didn't give one up."
Completing the quartet of leaders was Brian Gay, who had a later start time at 2:47 p.m. His ability to maintain focus was commendable, as he recorded three consecutive birdies on two different occasions during his round.
"It’s just a long day," Gay remarked. "I’m not an early-morning guy, so I don’t mind sleeping in. But it was getting hard to run those greens on the last two holes because the sun was going down."
Sitting one stroke behind the leaders was Retief Goosen, who shot a 5-under 67. The former major winner had a slow start but found his stride as the round progressed. Golf fans might remember that Goosen’s victory at the 2019 Senior Players Championship marked his first title on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit.
As the tournament continues, many eyes will be on the leaders and the one-stroke behind contenders as they navigate the challenges posed by The Concession Golf Club in pursuit of the title.
