Live updates, recap from Day 1 at Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone
Weather concerns dominated Day 1 at Firestone Country Club.
Round one of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship was beset by rain, heavy winds and a lightning delay midway through the round.
Two golfers who handled the conditions after the stoppage sit atop the leader board.
Miguel Jiménez of Spain cruise down the No. 5 fairway during the first round of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen and Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez each defied the conditions to shoot 3-under rounds of 67 to finish as co-leaders.
Advertisement
Kjeldsen scored three birdies on the back nine.
"I love this golf course," he said. "I can't remember how many times I've been here, but it's always been a treat. I scrambled well today. I do like playing in tough conditions. I do like playing with wind and rain, so have to battle a little bit."
After playing his front nine 1 over, Gonzalez smoked the back nine with five birdies and a bogey. He said his putting was key.
"I think it was fair all day," Gonzalez said. "Today, I played good, not from the tee, but from the second shot on."
Behind the leaders were more international flavor. New Zealand's Steven Alker, South Africa's Retief Goosen and Atlanta's Stewart Cink each were 2-under 68, one stroke behind the leaders.
Advertisement
Defending champion Ernie Els finished round one at 2 over.
The second round will tee off at 11 a.m. June 20.
Here are live updates from round one.
Stewart Cink of Atlanta, Georgia takes his second shot onto the No. 7 green during the first round of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Ricardo Gonzalez finishes strong, ties for lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez blitzed the back nine of his round, finishing with five birdies and one bogey after going out with 1 over. He finished with a 3-under score of 67, tying with Søren Kjeldsen for the first-round lead.
All golfers have completed round one.
Søren Kjeldsen finishes at 3-under, Steven Alken at 2-under at Kaulig Companies Championship
After 18 blustery holes in Akron, two international championship are atop the leaderboard.
Advertisement
Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen finished with three birdies on the back nine to finish with a 3-under round of 67. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Steven Alker had a tougher back nine with two bogies, but still came home with 2-under 68. Those two are one-two in the clubhouse with about 18 golfers left on the course.
Steven Alker of New Zealand watches his shot from the No. 11 fairway in a steady rain during the first round of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Søren Kjeldsen pulls into second at Kaulig Companies Championship
Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen birdies the 17th hole at the Firestone Country Club. He sits one stroke behind leader Stewart Cink with one hole to go.
Cink leads, Alken drops a shot at Kaulig Companies Championship
A strong back nine from Stewart Cink has him with a two-shot lead near the end of round one at Firestone Country Club.
Advertisement
Cink just missed his third straight birdie on the par 4 sixth hole, but tapped in for par. Meanwhile, Steven Alker had his par putt on the 17th hole lip out, dropping him to 2-under and giving Cink the two-stroke lead.
Stewart Cink takes lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
Two straight birdies have propelled Stuart Cink to the lead at Firestone Country Club.
Following his birdie at hole No. 5, Cink sunk a long putt on the par 3 fifth hole. He takes the lead after Steven Alker had his birder putt lip out on the 16th hole.
Stewart Cink ties leader at Kaulig Companies Championship
Former British Open champion Stewart Cink has played his way to the top of the leaderboard at Firestone.
Advertisement
Cink sunk a birdie on the par 4 fourth hole. That combined with a bogey on the 15th by Steven Alker to tie the pair at 3-under. Both golfers have four holes remaining.
Alker leads by two heading down the stretch at Kaulig Companies Championship
New Zealand's Steven Alker continues to lead at Firestone Country Club, as he has a two-stroke lead through 14 holes.
Alker sits at 4-under for the round, two strokes ahead of group of five golfers. Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink, Søren Kjeldsen, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Steve Fleich all sit at 2-under.
Cameron Percy comes in under par at Kaulig Companies Championship
Australia's Cameron Percy finished with the first under par round of the day. Percy shot a 1-under 69, sinking four birdies and three bogies in the round.
Tom Pernice Jr. takes clubhouse lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
The first six golfers of the day are in the clubhouse.
Advertisement
Sitting with the lead after 18 holes is Tom Pernice Jr. He shot an even par round of 70 despite a bogey on the par 4 18th hole.
Steven Alken remains the leader on the course at 4 under.
First groups approaching final holes at Kaulig Companies Championship
With horizontal rain buffeting the course, the opening groups from the morning as approaching the final holes.
Steven Alken remains on top at 4-under through 11 holes, while Miguel Angel Jiménez sits at 3-under through eight holes.
Steven Alken extends lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
The hour-long lightning delay did not stop the momentum for the tournament leader at Firestone County Club.
Advertisement
Steven Alken birdied the par 4 ninth hole and made the turn at 4-under, putting him two strokes ahead of the field.
Play resumes at Kaulig Companies Championship
With the lightning passed, the golfers are back at it, hoping to complete Round 1 at Firestone Country Club.
New Zealand's Steven Alker has the lead at 3-under through eight holes.
Play to resume at 2:50 p.m. at Kaulig Companies Championship
The PGA Tour announced the weather delay will be for an hour, as play will resume at 2:50 p.m.
Weather forces play suspension at Kaulig Companies Championship
The weather has been windy all day, but the rains have arrived in earnest. At 1:50 p.m. Firestone Country Club suspended play due to inclement weather. Awaiting word on how long the suspension will last.
Singh, Jiménez among leaders at Kaulig Companies Championship
Some famous names are one the leaderboard as Round 1 of the Kaulig Companies Championship hits the halfway mark.
Advertisement
Vijay Singh and Miguel Angel Jiménez among a group sitting at 2-under through eight holes.
Steven Alker takes lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
One the PGA Tour Champions best players has the lead at Firestone Country Club.
Steve Alker moved into the lead at 3-under following a birdie at the par three 7th hole. Ailker sits Charles Schwab Cup standing, having won the Cologuard Classic earlier this season.
Boo Weekly moves into lead at Kaulig Companies Championship
Under cloudy skies at Firestone Country Club, a new leader has emerged.
Boo Weekly leads the field at 3-under through seven holes. After starting on the 10th hole, Weekly birdied the 10th, 14th and 16th hole to take the early lead.
All golfers on the course at Kaulig Companies Championship
With the trios from the 12:06 p.m. groups having teed off, the entire field is now on South Course at Firestone Country Club.
Advertisement
Billy Mayfair maintains the early lead, shooting 2-under through seven holes.
Defending champion Ernie Els on the course at Kaulig Companies Championship
"The Big Easy" is back to defend his title.
Ernie Els teed off from hole No. 1, along with Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer and Ángel Cabrera, who has won two PGA Tour Champions majors already this season.
Teeing off with the 11:55 group was Miguel Angel Jiménez, the leader on this year's Charles Schwab Cup standings.
On the course, Billy Mayfair has the early lead at 2-under through seven holes.
John Daly on the course at Kaulig Companies Championship
"Big John" is in the swing.
Advertisement
John Daly teed off at 10:31 a.m. along with Thongchai Jaidee and Harrison Frazar from tee No.10.
On the course, John Huston, Brand Jobe and Rod Pampling all sit at 1-under early.
Opening trios tee off at Kaulig Companies Championship
The opening trios have teed off here at Firestone.
It's Kirk Triplett, Paul Stankowski and Tom Pernice Jr. teeing off on the first hole. while Matt Gogel, Bob Estes and John Husted are on the course on hole 10.
For those wondering, defending champion Ernie Else and two-time major winner Angel Cabrera will tee off from hole 1 at 11:31 a.m.
Weather forecast for Round 1 of the Kaulig Companies Championship
It's a wet, windy morning here at Firestone Country Club.
Advertisement
Last night's storms have passed, but scattered rain is expected through afternoon. Wind gusts of up to 30 mph. Temperatures will be in the lower 70s today.
What is the schedule for the Kaulig Companies Championship?
Rounds 1 and 2 of the tournament will tee off a 10 a.m. with trios starting from holes 1 and 10.
The South Course at Firestone will play as a par 70 with a total distance of 7,248 yards.
For those not able to attend, tape delay coverage of rounds 1 and 2 will be broadcast on Golf Channel at 9 p.m.
Who is the defending champion? Who is in the field?
South African golf legend Ernie Els won the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship to claim his first Champions Tour major. He won with a 10-under score of 270.
Advertisement
Els is one of the six World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field. He is joined by Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh.
Harrington is making his debut at the Kaulig Companies Championship. Tour leader Miguel Angel Jiménez and Ángel Cabrera, who won the first two Champions Tour major championships, also will compete.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Live scores, recap from Day 1 at Kaulig Companies Championship
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Did the Washington Commanders win the offseason?
Did the Washington Commanders "win" the offseason? Don't tell that to longtime Washington fans who were accustomed to winning the offseason under former owner Dan Snyder. In those days, Snyder would make multiple flashy offseason moves that went nowhere. That was a long time ago. Long before Snyder sold the team, he quit spending money, and Washington was as bad in the offseason as it was during the season. The Commanders found themselves in a unique position this offseason. They were coming off a 12-win season and an appearance in the NFC championship game. And while Washington has more needs than most teams that won 12 games, the focus was on improving the roster, not overhauling it. Most importantly, the Commanders weren't looking for a quarterback. Jayden Daniels was everything they envisioned and more last season. So, this offseason was about building around Daniels. Advertisement How'd they do? While Washington didn't go crazy in free agency, mainly focusing on short-term deals with veterans and re-signing key internal free agents, general manager Adam Peters swung for the fences in two trades. The Commanders acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in different trades, filling massive holes at those positions. Bucky Brooks of believes that Washington, along with four other teams, did win the offseason: It's hard to improve from good to great in the NFL, but the Commanders might join the league's elites with an improved roster that features more blue-chip players around 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. The trades for Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel place a pair of Pro Bowl-caliber players in marquee positions (left tackle and WR2) that should help the offense unlock another gear in 2025. If the team can resolve Terry McLaurin's contract situation, the Commanders will have a chance to open the season with an electric offense that will put plenty of stress on defensive coordinators crafting plans to stop the juggernaut. Defensively, the additions of Deatrich Wise and Jonathan Jones fortify a unit that is coming into its own under the direction of head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. If the Commanders continue to receive key contributions from their young defensive backs (Mike Sainristil, Quan Martin and Trey Amos), the reigning NFC runner-up could take the next step in 2025. My expectation for 2025: The Commanders are built to run through the NFC with a superstar quarterback surrounded by a stellar supporting cast. If Washington can secure the NFC's No. 1 seed, we could see a championship parade in the nation's capital come February. It's hard not to like how Peters approached the offseason. While questions remain about the pass rush, the Commanders worked hard to strengthen their run defense and add valuable depth to the secondary. It's challenging to fill every need in one offseason, but in two years as Washington's GM, Peters has restocked three of the NFL's most important positions. The Commanders have a franchise quarterback, two bookend offensive tackles and quality cornerback depth. That's a tremendous offseason. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Analyst names Commanders as an offseason winner
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LSU baseball's Jay Johnson to face Coastal Carolina in College World Series rematch
LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson finds himself in a similar position as the Tigers prepare for Coastal Carolina in the national championship series. Johnson, who is making his third College World Series finals appearance — and second with LSU — will face the Chanticleers for the second time in those three tries, dating back to his first appearance during his Arizona tenure. Advertisement REQUIRED READING: LSU baseball, Coastal Carolina have history. What to know before College World Series final And Johnson will also coach against first-year coach Kevin Schnall, who was the associate head coach under then-head coach Gary Gilmore, when Coastal Carolina won the 2016 national championship over Johnson and the Wildcats. Ironically, Coastal Carolina also had to beat LSU twice in 2016 to reach the national championship, back when Paul Mainieri was at the helm. The Chanticleers came away with two wins (11-8, 4-3) in the Baton Rouge Super Regional to end the season for LSU. Here's what to know of Johnson's connections to Coastal Carolina, LSU's College World Series finals opponent in 2025: Jay Johnson facing Coastal Carolina again Johnson will look to get revenge against Coastal Carolina, which played spoiler against Johnson in the 2016 national championship in his first season at Arizona. Advertisement The Wildcats won Game 1 of the three-game national championship series before dropping back-to-back games to the Chanticleers to finish as the runner-up. Johnson, who's well-aware of Coastal Carolina's program, isn't taking it lightly heading into the national championship. "This is one of the best programs in the sport," Johnson told reporters on June 19. "For a long time. We're not talking about now, or even the '90s or when they won it in 2016. Long before that. As I'm trying to build my coaching career, I'm paying attention to Skip Bertman, Augie Garrido, Mike Gillespie, I was also paying attention to (Coastal Carolina's) Gary Gilmore. He's a phenomenal coach. "Obviously, known Kevin (Schnall) forever. Out on the recruiting trail with him as a friend, (figuring out) how he worked and I mean, very impressive. To me, if there's one that can continue to do it and match up and compete, it's Coastal Carolina." Advertisement Johnson, who said he considers Schnall a friend, said Coastal Carolina has a similar identity in 2016 to what they have now. That goes back to Schnall, a longtime assistant, taking over for Gilmore, who led the program from 1996-2024. "You have to win the game against them," Johnson said. "They're not going to give you the game based on the way that they play. Their pitchers throw strikes. They don't give away a lot. They play really sound defense. They do a great job of getting the leadoff man on, they do a great job of running the bases. They do a great job in the bunting game. "And those are program traits. Listening to Gary Gilmore talk about bunting in like, 2008 or 2009, and like, 'Wow, no wonder they're better at it than everybody else.'" ... They do things right. That was clearly the case, it's always been the case, and it's the case now. That would be the similarities." Former LSU star Kramer Robertson, the son of LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, played for the Tigers in 2016 when they fell in back-to-back games to Coastal Carolina to end the season. He recently asked for a favor of the current LSU team on social media, as the Tigers and Johnson look for revenge. "I'm an LSU fan," LSU sophomore ace Kade Anderson told reporters on Thursday. "I remember the play in the back of my head. Groundball over third base. I know Kramer (Robertson) was at shortstop, all those guys, Greg Deichmann. I grew up watching those guys play. Advertisement "It's pretty crazy going into this opportunity. I saw Kramer's tweet, so this is pretty special." This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Jay Johnson vs Coastal Carolina: LSU coach set for CWS finals rematch
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chet Holmgren offers injury update ahead of Pacers-Thunder 2025 NBA Finals Game 5
Jun 13, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (on ground) reacts after a fall as guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) checks on him following a play against the Indiana Pacers during the first half during game four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Twisting his ankle in the opening minutes, Chet Holmgren took a moment to get back up. All the seven-footer needed was to hear Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ask him to tough it out. The Oklahoma City Thunder needed him for their Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers. Even when he tweaked it again, Holmgren held his ground. He finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds. More importantly, though, he made the Pacers regret hunting him out on the perimeter. Tyrese Haliburton couldn't get past him and settled for difficult shots that missed. Advertisement The Pacers were on the wrong side of a comeback. For the first time in the NBA playoffs, really. The Thunder outscored them 31-17 in the fourth quarter. Indiana only scored one point in the final three minutes. Holmgren has been a vital piece to OKC's success. Any worries about a nagging ankle injury were extinguished. He said in Sunday's NBA Finals practice that his ankle is fine. He moved around normally when the media were allowed to watch the final 30 minutes of practice. Expect Holmgren to flirt with 40 minutes in a pivotal Game 5. It's that time of the year. The last two teams standing are deep enough into the summer that most are dealing with something. Barring a serious injury, don't expect anybody to miss the remainder of the NBA Finals. This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren offers injury update ahead of 2025 NBA Finals Game 5
