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Live: Bridgestone Senior Players Championship first-round updates – Akron Beacon Journal

Steve Stricker hugs his wife and caddie Nicki after winning the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club on Friday June 27, 2021 in Akron.

Steve Stricker held the trophy over his head at the 2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship and will be one of the 80 in the field for the 2022 event at Firestone Country Club.

Stricker will be defending his championship in the last Senior Players Championship with Bridgestone as the main sponsor. The 2023 tournament will be sponsored by Kaulig Companies.

There will be new food and entertainment options at Firestone in addition to a major championship on the Champions Tour.

Things to do and see:6 reasons fans always have a blast at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship

Stricker led wire-to-wire in winning the 2021 tournament and endured a life-threatening illness in months that followed.

Who will win the final Bridgestone Senior Players Championship?

Check back here during the opening round of the tournament to see highlights from the round and who takes the early lead:

Alex Cejka current official PGA TOUR headshot.
(Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

Alex Cejka cards 64 to lead during first round at Firestone CC

Alex Cejka compiled a 6-under-par 64 Thursday on the South Course at Firestone Country Club to sit atop the leaderboard.

Cejka started on No. 10 and made a birdie on Nos. 10, 12, 15 and 16 on the back nine. He then dropped in birdie putts on Nos. 7 and 9 on the front nine. 

David Toms posted a 66 to sit in second place.

Jerry Kelly and Ernie Els are tied for third at 3-under-par.

Rocco Mediate, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Tim Petrovic, Steven Alker, Shane Bertsch, Bob Estes, Cameron Beckman and Tom Gillis are tied for fifth at 2-under-par.

Alex Cejka cards 6-under-par to lead during first round at Firestone CC

Alex Cejka compiled a 6-under-par 64 Thursday on the South Course at Firestone Country Club to sit atop the leaderboard as of 3:45 p.m.

Cejka started on No. 10 and made a birdie on Nos. 10, 12, 15 and 16 on the back nine. He then dropped in birdie putts on Nos. 7 and 9 on the front nine. 

David Toms posted a 66 to sit in second place.

Jerry Kelly, Ernie Els, Tim Herron, Tom Byrum and Tom Gillis are tied for third at 3-under-par.

Alex Cejka maintains lead through 16 holes during first round at Firestone CC

Alex Cejka maintained a one shot lead at 5-under-par through 16 holes as of 2:50 p.m.

Cejka started on No. 10 and made a birdie on four holes on the back nine. Through seven holes on the front nine, he had recorded one birdie. 

Tom Byrum was in second place at 4-under-par.

Jerry Kelly, David Toms, Y.E. Yang and Tim Herron are tied for third at 3-under-par.

Alex Cejka maintains lead through 12 holes during first round at Firestone CC

Alex Cejka maintained a one shot lead at 4-under-par through 12 holes as of 2 p.m.

Woody Austin and Tom Byrum were tied for second place at 3-under-par.

Alex Cejka leads through nine holes during first round

Alex Cejka held a one shot lead at 4-under-par through nine holes as of 1 p.m.

David Toms was in second place at 3-under-par.

Retief Goosen among five golfers tied for first in early portion of first round

Retief Goosen, Carlos Franco, Alex Cejka, Marco Dawson and Mike Weir are tied for first Thursday in the early portion of the first round on the South Course at Firestone Country Club.

All five golfers are at 2-under-par as of 11:40 a.m.

Goosen has completed five holes. 

How to watch

Television: Thursday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel – World Feed), 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (Golf Channel), 12 p.m.-3 p.m. (CBS). 

Round 1 Tee Times

No. 1 tee

10 a.m.: Roger Rowland, Mark Walker

10:10 a.m.: David Frost, Kent Jones, Scott Dunlap

10:20 a.m.: Michael Allen, Fred Funk, Rocco Mediate

10:30 a.m.: Carlos Franco, Paul Goydos, David McKenzie

10:40 a.m.: Marco Dawson, Ken Duke, Rob Labritz

10:50 a.m.: Steve Stricker, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Justin Leonard

11 a.m.: Ernie Els, Steve Flesch, Mike Weir

11:10 a.m.: Steven Alker, K.J. Choi, Thongchai Jaidee

11:20 a.m.: Darren Clarke, David Duval, Bernhard Langer

11:30 a.m.:  Jay Haas, Doug Barron, Colin Montgomerie

11:40 a.m.: Paul Broadhurst, Lee Janzen, Brandt Jobe

11:50 a.m.: Woody Austin, Bob Estes, Glen Day

12 p.m.: Tim Herron, Brett Quigley, Olin Browne

12:10 p.m.: Frank Lickliter II, Paul Stankowski, David Branshaw

No. 10 tee

10:05 a.m.: Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Dicky Pride

10:15 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Jerry Kelly, Davis Love III

10:25 a.m.: Retief Goosen, Stephen Ames, David Toms

10:35 a.m.: Alex Cejka, Joe Durant, Scott McCarron

10:45 a.m.: Kevin Sutherland, Scott Parel, Brian Gay

10:55 a.m.: Kirk Triplett, Jeff Maggert, Tom Pernice Jr.

11:05 a.m.: Billy Andrade, Joey Sindelar, Tim Petrovic

11:15 a.m.: John Daly, Jesper Parnevik, Shane Bertsch

11:25 a.m.: Billy Mayfair, John Huston, Dan Forsman

11:35 a.m.: Robert Allenby, Gene Sauers, Y.E. Yang

11:45 a.m.: Wes Short, Jr., John Senden, Ken Tanigawa

11:55 a.m.: Cameron Beckman, Corey Pavin, Chris DiMarco

12:05 p.m.: Tom Byrum, Tom Gillis, Duffy Waldorf

Round 2 Tee Times

No. 1 tee

10:05 a.m.: Billy Andrade, Joey Sindelar, Tim Petrovic

10:15 a.m.: John Daly, Jesper Parnevik, Shane Bertsch

10:25 a.m.: Billy Mayfair, John Huston, Dan Forsman

10:35 a.m.: Robert Allenby, Gene Sauers, Y.E. Yang

10:45 a.m.: Wes Short, Jr., John Senden, Ken Tanigawa

10:55 a.m.: Cameron Beckman, Corey Pavin, Chris DiMarco

11:05 a.m.: Tom Byrum, Tom Gillis, Duffy Waldorf

11:15 a.m.: Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Dicky Pride

11:25 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Jerry Kelly, Davis Love III

11:35 a.m.: Retief Goosen, Stephen Ames, David Toms

11:45 a.m.: Alex Cejka, Joe Durant, Scott McCarron

11:55 a.m.: Kevin Sutherland, Scott Parel, Brian Gay

12:05 p.m.: Kirk Triplett, Jeff Maggert, Tom Pernice Jr.

No. 10 tee

10 a.m.: Steven Alker, K.J. Choi, Thongchai Jaidee

10:10 a.m.: Darren Clarke, David Duval, Bernhard Langer

10:20 a.m.: Jay Haas, Doug Barron, Colin Montgomerie

10:30 a.m.: Paul Broadhurst, Lee Janzen, Brandt Jobe

10:40 a.m.: Woody Austin, Bob Estes, Glen Day

10:50 a.m.: Tim Herron, Brett Quigley, Olin Browne

11 a.m.: Frank Lickliter II, Paul Stankowski, David Branshaw

11:10 a.m.: Roger Rowland, Mark Walker

11:20 a.m.: David Frost, Kent Jones, Scott Dunlap

11:30 a.m.: Michael Allen, Fred Funk, Rocco Mediate

11:40 a.m.: Carlos Franco, Paul Goydos, David McKenzie

11:50 a.m.: Marco Dawson, Ken Duke, Rob Labritz

12 p.m.: Steve Stricker, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Justin Leonard

12:10 p.m.: Ernie Els, Steve Flesch, Mike Weir

Senior Players Championship winners at Firestone

2021: Steve Stricker

2020: Jerry Kelly

2019: Retief Goosen