CaddyBytes

2026 Senior PGA Championship Highlights

CaddyBytes 🏆 2026 Senior PGA Championship Round 1 Highlights: Thursday at the Senior PGA Championship delivered exactly what a senior major should: big names, sharp iron play, and a reminder that experience still travels very well under major pressure. As the first of five senior majors got underway, the early storylines came from a mix of former major champions and proven veterans who know how to manage difficult conditions without forcing the round. It did not take long for the leaderboard to fill with recognizable names.

Not everyone found that rhythm. Defending champion Ángel Cabrera never really settled in and endured one of the toughest rounds of the day, sliding to an 81 after the mistakes kept building. Justin Leonard, meanwhile, looked far more comfortable and quietly put together a solid opening 70, the kind of steady start that keeps a player in position early in a major even without grabbing all the attention.

José María Olazábal gave the round one of its more encouraging performances. After briefly holding the lead and getting to 2 under through seven, he stayed in the picture with a 4-under 68. The touch around the greens was still unmistakable, and once again he showed that on a course asking for precision and patience, feel and imagination can still carry a player a long way.

Retief Goosen also put together one of the better rounds of the day with a 67, but the bigger charge came from Miguel Ángel Jiménez. The “Mechanic” continued his strong over-50 form with the kind of round that looked smooth from start to finish. He rolled in an eagle putt, stayed in control of the pace of his round, and posted a 6-under 66 to move right to the top of the board. It was exactly the sort of polished senior-major performance that has become familiar from him.

And yet even with Jiménez shooting 66, the biggest story of the opening round still belonged to Bernhard Langer. At an age when most players are long removed from contention in major championships, Langer once again looked completely at home. He kept doing what he has done for decades — fairways, control, smart decisions, and timely putts — and by the end of the day he had matched that 6-under number to grab a share of the lead.

That is what made Round 1 feel so memorable. Jiménez was brilliant, Olazábal and Goosen turned back the clock in their own ways, and Leonard stayed close. But Langer once again became the center of attention, chasing yet another senior major record and proving that his game, even decades after his Masters victories, still holds up when the stage gets bigger. For the first day of a senior major, it was a strong reminder that this championship is still built on precision, nerve, and experience.

Video courtesy of Golf Channel / YouTube.