First round update: Alex Cejka cards 64 to lead in 2022 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship
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 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
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Live: Bridgestone Senior Players Championship first-round updates
