Birthday boy Ernie Els got off to a hot start in the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
Els, who turned 56 Friday, is one of three golfers to shoot 6-under 66 in the first round of the Dominion Energy Classic on the PGA Tour Champions.
Els did his in bogey-free fashion, as did Justin Leonard. The third 66 on the board was posted by Steve Allan, who countered three bogeys with nine birdies, including four in a row on the front nine. Those three are tied for the lead after 18 holes.
For Els, his play Friday was a nice gift to himself.
“Well, there was a lot of pressure. You don’t want to screw up your birthday with a bad round of golf,” he said. “Yeah, 56 now, I’m becoming a middle-aged guy out on this tour. I had a great day. The weather was perfect, I had a great pairing with Padraig [Harrington] and Thomas [Bjorn]. Yeah, I don’t know how I kept bogeys off my card but we did. It was a nice day for scoring.”
The Dominion Energy is the first of three postseason events. The top 72 from the regular season qualified but the field is 69 after Fred Couples and Paul Broadhurst opted out and Bob Estes withdrew due to injury.
Only the top 54 in the standings Sunday night advance to next week’s Simmons Bank Championship. Els, who has moved up two spots to No. 2 in the points standings, is in great shape to advance, especially after his 66 Friday.
“I’ve been playing good, solid golf. I like the driver I’m using, my irons, everything’s kind of there, and I like the golf course,” he said, knowing that his work is far from over. “It’s going to be a bit of a shootout I think this weekend. The weather looks good, the golf course is in great shape, so you’re going to have to shoot low.”
