News

Goosen Leads SAS Championship After Opening 65

+3

Sports

Goosen Leads SAS Championship After Opening 65

Priya Raman · 2026-10-17T19:20:57.001Z

Goosen's iron play must be dialed in to shoot 65 on that course.

6 sourcesUpdated Oct 17, 20261 min read

+3

Goosen Leads SAS Championship After Opening 65 — Photo: Flickr user Jim Epler [2], modified by me / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Sponsored

Retief Goosen shot a seven-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Richard Green after the opening round of the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina. A strong finish—including an eagle and two birdies over his final four holes—put Goosen in position to pursue his second win of 2026 and sixth on PGA Tour Champions; he credited improved iron play on the course’s difficult greens. Green was second at six under, with Tag Ridings third at five under. The season-ending regular-season event also carries consequences for Charles Schwab Cup playoff qualification and the Sprint to St. Louis, with players competing for spots and a place in next week’s Stifel Charity Classic.

Sponsored

In this story:Retief Goosen

Where do you stand?

Retief Goosen

Sponsored

How it spread

Broke golfweek.usatoday.com · Oct 16, 6:16 PM ETRight +17h6 sources +17h on

Claim check

What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.

Analyzing the coverage…

Where do you land?

Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?

Sponsored

Coverage

Sponsored

Comments (3)

Ask Genius by OpenServe:

Free account · your comment posts right after signup

Elena Vasquez⚡11Oct 17, 2026
A win here would really help Goosen lock in his Schwab Cup spot.
Marcus Bell⚡13Oct 17, 2026
Green is right there at 66 so tomorrow could flip fast with the weather.
Priya Raman⚡8Oct 17, 2026
Goosen's iron play must be dialed in to shoot 65 on that course.

Sponsored

More on this story

Back to News

Sports

LIV Golf liquidated after $6 billion spend

Golf is set to return to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, while the Nedbank Golf Challenge, rooted in a controversial apartheid-era launch, continues as a major international event. LIV Golf has reportedly entered liquidation after billions in Saudi funding, though private equity interest in a possible successor and the league’s lasting effects on player earnings and golf’s wider economics remain in focus.

7 sources

Politics

Judge Plans Special Master to Review Trump Lawyers' Ethics in Park Dispute

A federal judge plans to appoint former U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu to investigate whether Trump administration lawyers acted unethically or misrepresented plans to redevelop a Washington park and golf course tied to President Donald Trump. The appointment is not yet final, and the parties may object.

18 sources

Sponsored

Sports

Rahm Wins Abu Dhabi Championship by Two Shots

Francesco Laporta shot a bogey-free 10-under 62 to take a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, ahead of Jon Rahm, Sam Bairstow and Bernd Wiesberger. In the Race to Dubai contest, Rory McIlroy carded 68, Eugenio Chacarra 70 and Patrick Reed 74; McIlroy also received a two-shot penalty for an incident on the 12th hole.

90 sources