Retief Goosen closed with his only bogey of the round on Thursday as he carded an opening three-under-par 68 in the first round of the PGA Tour Champions season finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.
Goosen made three birdies on the front nine, starting with one on the first, and picked up another on the 11th, before dropping that shot on the 18th. He finished the first round of the 72-hole championship in a share of 11th, three shots behind the lead. There were three players on six-under-par 65: John Huston of the United States, Stephen Ames of Canada and Steven Alker of New Zealand. They led by one from Bernhard Langer of Germany and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
Alker is the leader in the points race for the Charles Schwab Cup, and is projected to stay there based on his current position. Harrington is currently second, and would stay there if things stay the way they are. Goosen is projected to drop one place to 20th. Ernie Els, who is not playing, is in eighth place and projected to drop to ninth.
