Tyrone’s Darren Clarke put together a strong round at The Woodlands Country Club in Texas to sit T11 after 18 holes at the Insperity Invitational.
Clarke got off to a quick start, making birdie at the par-5 first before adding two more at the fourth and sixth. Clarke slumped at the eighth and ninth – making back-to-back bogeys after wayward balls off the tee, taking him to one-under-par before heading to the back nine.
Clarke quickly dusted off the disappointment of the previous two holes and stormed out of the blocks with birdies coming at the 11th, 13th, and 15th. Clarke made birdie at all four of the par-5s.
The 57-year-old’s strong finish saw him post a four-under-par 68 to sit three back from leader Ben Crane.
Pádraig Harrington posted a two-under-par 70 to sit T30 after the first round. Harrington could have really pieced together a intentful round but for a mishap at the second hole.
Harrington made four birdies, but the 54-year-old had to re-tee at the second hole after he hit one out of bounds, forcing him to make a double bogey.
PGA Champions rookie Ben Crane birdied six of his first 10 holes en route to an opening seven-under-par 65. Crane is seeking his first PGA TOUR Champions win
Crane’s only blemish came at the par-3 14th where he made bogey after failing to hit the green from the tee. This is Crane’s lowest 18-hole score on PGA TOUR Champions, beating his 66 he made earlier on in the year at the Hoag Classic.
A four-way tie for second place sees Shane Bertsch, Thongchai Jaidee, Richard Green, and Boo Weekley sit just one back from Crane at six-under.
Bertsch, who started the week as an alternate posted a round that saw four birdies and an eagle. The 56-year-old is seeking his second win.
Two-time Insperity Invitiational champion Steven Alker and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els are two of the five players sitting T6 at five-under.
Alker, who entered the week No. 4 in the 2026 Charles Schwab Cup standings, is one of two multi-time winners of the Insperity Invitational, along with Bernhard Langer, who has four wins.
Defending champion and current Charles Schwab Cup points leader Stewart Cink battled through a slow start before turning in another impressive performance. After posting a 1-over-par 37 on the front nine, Cink caught fire on the inward half, carding a brilliant 5-under-par 31 on the back nine to climb into a tie for 11th place.
Cink has been one of the most dominant players on PGA TOUR Champions this season, winning four of the eight events contested in 2026 and continuing to strengthen his position atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Sweden’s Robert Karlsson made a hole-in-one at the par-3 14th as he tied with Clarke and others at four-under.
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