Zach Johnson Shoots a Great Round to Lead the Kaulig Companies Championship

Published: Jul 11, 2026, 07:46 PM ET
Location: Akron, Ohio

What Is This Tournament?

The Kaulig Companies Championship is a big, important golf contest. It is the fourth of five "major" tournaments (the biggest, most special events) on the PGA Tour Champions. Think of the PGA Tour Champions as a special league where professional golf players are 50 years or older — like a "senior" league for pro golfers.

Zach Johnson’s Awesome Saturday

On Saturday, a player named Zach Johnson played really well. Let’s break it down like you’re 5:

• Golf is played over 18 holes (think of holes as tiny targets in the ground).
• Each course has a "par," which is the expected number of hits (strokes) a skilled golfer should take.
• Zach shot a 7-under 63. That means his total hits were 63, which was 7 fewer than the par (so par was likely 70). "Under" means better than expected.
• Because of rain, the ground was soft. Zach said: "It was for the taking today. It was wet. It was pretty much point and shoot and stop." That means you could aim, hit, and the ball would stop quickly on the soft grass.

Important Point: Zach now leads the whole tournament by four strokes (four hits ahead of everyone else). That’s a big cushion!

How Did His Day Go? (Numbered Steps)

1. First 9 holes (front nine): He played them in 5-under 30. That’s super good! He said: "The front nine was as solid of nine holes as I’ve played in I couldn’t tell you how long."
2. Last 9 holes (second nine): He added two more birdies (a birdie = one under par on a hole).
3. Total score: He started the day with two rounds of 67 each (consecutive 67s). Adding his 63 gives a three-round total of 13-under 197.

The weather was cloudy and about 83°F (that’s warm but not too hot).

Who Is Zach Johnson?

• He is 50 years old.
• This season, in the senior league, he has two wins in eight starts (he’s played 8 times, won 2).
• Before this event, he skipped last week’s U.S. Senior Open (another senior major) to play in a regular PGA Tour event called the John Deere Classic, where he tied for 9th.
• In his very first senior start, he won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.
• In his last senior start (before this), he won the Principal Charity Classic in his home state of Iowa.
• On the regular PGA Tour (not senior), he has 12 wins, including two huge major wins: the 2007 Masters and the 2015 British Open.

How Did the Other Players Do?

Here are the other top players after Saturday:

• Miguel Angel Jiménez (defending champion, age 62 from Spain) shot a 62 and is in second place. He did something special: he "shot his age" for the first time — meaning his score (62) matched his age (62)! He said: "Every time you can shoot your age is great."
• Cameron Percy was the leader after the previous round (third-round leader), but after shooting a 70 he is now third at 7-under total.
• Darren Clarke (68) and Tag Ridings (68) were at 6-under.
• Stewart Cink, who leads the season-long Charles Schwab Cup (a points race), tied for sixth at 5-under after a 68. He has 4 wins in 11 starts this season.
• Bernhard Langer (age 68, three-time winner of this event) shot a 67 — that’s his age or better for the 45th time in his career! He is tied for 14th at 3-under.

Callout: "Shooting your age" is a big deal for older golfers — it means the number of strokes equals your age. Bernhard Langer has done it 45 times!

What’s Next and a Bit of History

Zach said about the final round: "I played 54 good ones, I’ve got 18 more to go and I’ve got to play good. You never know what could happen tomorrow depending on the conditions, wind or lack thereof." (54 holes done, 18 left.)

Also, this is the final year the tournament is held at Firestone Country Club. The relationship with the PGA Tour goes way back to the Rubber City Open in 1954. So it’s a goodbye to a long friendship.

Summary

• Zach Johnson, 50, shot 7-under 63 in the rain to lead the Kaulig Companies Championship by 4 strokes.
• His total after three rounds is 13-under 197.
• Miguel Angel Jiménez (62) shot 62 (his age!) to sit second.
• Cameron Percy, Darren Clarke, Tag Ridings, Stewart Cink, and Bernhard Langer all had notable rounds.
• Johnson is a seasoned pro with 12 regular PGA wins and 2 senior wins this season.
• The event leaves Firestone after this year, ending a tradition since 1954.

FAQ

1. What does "7-under 63" mean in golf?
It means the player took 63 hits to finish the 18 holes, which was 7 hits fewer than the course’s expected number (par). It’s like finishing a task in fewer steps than usual — a great result!

2. What is the PGA Tour Champions?
It’s a golf tour for professional players who are 50 years or older. Think of it as the "senior league" where experienced golfers keep competing.

3. Why is "shooting your age" a big deal?
When an older golfer’s score equals their age (like a 62-year-old shooting 62), it shows they are playing as well as the number of years they’ve lived — very impressive!

4. What is the Kaulig Companies Championship?
It’s the fourth of five major tournaments on the senior tour. A major is one of the most important events of the year.

5. Why is Firestone Country Club special this year?
This 2026 event is the last time the tournament will be held there, closing a partnership with the PGA Tour that started in 1954 with the Rubber City Open.