Darren Clarke and Pádraig Harrington both got their first rounds of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic underway on Friday. Clarke, who is seeking his second his Champions Tour win of the season and Harrington seeking his third, find themselves off the leaders’ pace after 18 holes.

A quick start for Tyrone’s Clarke saw him make birdie at the first, second and fifth before making a bogey at the par-3 eighth to head into the back nine on two-under. The 57-year-old added another bogey at the par-4 15th, after a loose tee shot saw the 2011 Open winner out of bounds but Clarke did well to limit the damage to just a bogey.

Clarke responded in the best way he could with a birdie on the par-5 16th as he posted a two-under-par 70 to head into round two T17, four strokes off the leaders.

Harrington, who mentioned that he will “probably need to win two out of three” of the final events if he is to win the season long Charles Schwab Cup got off to a slower start than he would have wanted.

The 54-year-old, who sits fifth in the rankings, struggled to capitalise on good positions throughout his first round. A birdie at the par-4 second and a bogey at the par-5 sixth after a dropped shot was all Harrington could manage on the front nine.

Another bogey came on at the  par-4 13th after his tee shot saw the rough but Harrington did well to bounce back with a birdie at the par-5 16th. Harrington finds himself T40 at even-par heading into round two.

Harrington won two of the big Champions Tour events in the U.S. Senior Open and ISPS HANDA Senior Open Championship, but will need a big weekend this week if he is to make a late lunge for the Schwab Cup.

There is a three-way tie for the lead after round one as Ernie Els, Steve Allan and Justin Leonard all posted a six-under-par 66 to take a two-shot lead over the field.

USA’s Leonard is hoping to better his best finish at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic which came in 2023, finishing T13.

Australia’s Steve Allan sits ninth in the rankings as the 51-year-old made nine birdies on Friday, the most out of anyone in the field. A win on Sunday would see Allan join Miguel Angel Jiménez as the only other four-time winner this season.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els went bogey free on Friday as he celebrated his 56th birthday.

Two-time winner of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic Bernhard Langer, made four birdies on the back nine en route to a bogey-free four-under-par 68 to sit T4 alongside Greg Chalmers and Freddie Jacobson.

The top 54 after this week advance to next week’s Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Arkansas. Only the top 36 from the Simmons Bank Championship advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona (Nov. 13-16).

Leaderboard.