Stephen Ames of Canada made the most of his first round of the 2026 PGA Tour Champions season, turning in an 8-under-par 64 for a one-stroke lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on Thursday in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Ames amassed five birdies in a six-hole stretch at Nos. 2-7 on his way to a bogey-free round at Hualalai Golf Course.
“The weather was a bit benign, no wind, so it’s kind of there for the taking. I saw the scores were going up quickly. (72-year-old Jay Haas) started off the same. Wasn’t he like 5 under after seven or something, too?
“I thought, ‘Jesus, if an old man like that can do it, so can I, right?”
Indeed, Haas rolled in five birdies over his first six holes on his way to shooting a 6-under 66 — a remarkable six shots lower than his age.
“Yeah, that was pretty unexpected,” Haas said. “You have the potential to go low early on at this golf course, but I just hit a lot of good shots, drove the ball really well all day. Had good opportunities early on, managed to make the most of those.”
Fred Couples and Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson are one behind Ames at 7-under 65, while Haas is in a large tie for fourth with David Duval, Stewart Cink, Canadian Mike Weir, Australia’s Richard Green, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and South Africa’s Ernie Els.
Couples recovered from a bogey at No. 2 by birdieing and eagling Nos. 3-4.
“Here we are starting 2026 on a course that I absolutely love over par,” Couples said. “But I birdied 3 and eagled 4, which kind of gave me a nice “let’s get going.” I drove it well, I hit some good irons and when I did get it close enough, I seemed to make the putts.”
The three-round tournament concludes Saturday.
