Things to know

• On his 56th birthday, World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els shares the 18-hole lead with 2025 Chubb Classic winner Justin Leonard, as well as Steven Allan, who is a three-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions this season.

Justin Leonard, 33-33 – 66 (-6)

Charles Schwab Cup standings: Started 17th; projected 10th

• Cards his lowest round at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic (seventh round)
  • Previous event low: 3-under 69 (2024/second round)
• Recorded top-25 finishes in two previous starts at this tournament
  • Best finish: T13 (2023)
• This is his fifth time leading/co-leading after the first round on PGA TOUR Champions and first of the 2025 season
  • Is 0-for-4 converting those into victories (best finish: T4/2023 American Family Insurance Championship)
• The 53-year-old seeks his second win of the 2025 season (17th start).
  • Captured first career victory on PGA TOUR Champions earlier this season at the Chubb Classic in Naples, Florida
• With a win on Sunday, he would become the seventh multi-time winner this season on PGA TOUR Champions.

Steve Allan, 32-34 – 66 (-6)

Charles Schwab Cup standings: Started ninth; projected fifth

• Records nine birdies, the most in the field, en route to a 6-under 66
  • Made birdie on three of his final four holes (Nos. 15, 16, 18)
• Seeking fourth win of the 2025 PGA TOUR Champions season (21st start)
  • Last win: 2025 Boeing Classic
  • Would join Miguel Angel Jiménez as the only other four-time winner on Tour this season
• Holds third 18-hole lead/co-lead of his Champions Tour career (45th start)
  • Is 1-for-2 in converting those into victories (2025 Dick’s Open)
• Entered the week No. 9 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings
  • As a rookie, finished 39th in the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup standings

Ernie Els, 32-34 – 66 (-6)

Charles Schwab Cup standings: Start fourth; projected second

• Cards a bogey-free 6-under 66 on his 56th birthday
• Owns four top-10 finishes in five previous starts at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic
  • Best finish: T4 (2021)
• World Golf Hall of Fame member holds his seventh first-round lead/co-lead on PGA TOUR Champions (127th start)
  • 1-for-6 in converting those into wins (2024 Principal Charity Classic)
• Seeking eighth win of his Champions Tour career
  • Last win: 2025 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Other notes

• Two-time winner of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic Bernhard Langer (2017, 2021) makes four birdies on the back nine en route to a bogey-free 4-under 68.
  • Seeks his record-extending 48th win on PGA TOUR Champions (375th start)
• Greg Chalmers makes five birdies against one bogey to card a 4-under 68 in his second start at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
  • He finished T37 in 2024.
• Rookie Freddie Jacobson, who earned 2025 PGA TOUR Champions status by finishing 2nd at Q-School (Final Stage), opens with a bogey-free, 4-under 68 and seeks his first win on PGA TOUR Champions (22nd start).
  • Best finish: T2 (2025 Hoag Classic)
• World Golf Hall of Fame member Retief Goosen makes five birdies on the day, but surrenders a bogey on his final hole of the day (No. 18) for a 4-under 68.
• Champions Tour winner Y.E. Yang (T4) birdies his final two holes of the day (Nos. 17, 18) and holds his best first-round position at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic (fourth start).
  • Previous best 18-hole position: T23 (2022/finished T22)
• Alex Cejka (T9), winner of last week’s SAS Championship, makes five birdies against a double bogey (No. 11) for a 3-under 69.
• Defending champion Tim O’Neal (T25) posts an opening 1-under 71.

Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs

• This week’s Dominion Energy Charity Classic is the first of the three Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs events and features 69 of the top 72 available in the standings. The top 54 after this week advance to next week’s Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Arkansas. Only the top 36 from the Simmons Bank Championship advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona (Nov. 13-16).
  • No players are currently projected to move in or out of the top 54 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings; Mario Tiziani (T63), who entered the week 51st, is currently projected 54th.
  • Bo Van Pelt (T25) is currently projected 55th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.