Stewart Cink fired a 9-under-par 63 and Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson carded a 64 on Friday to share the lead after two rounds of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
The event is the opener of the 2026 PGA Tour Champions season.
Jacobson followed his first-round 65 with a bogey-free round at Hualalai Golf Course to get to 15-under 129. He eagled the par-5 No. 10 and after starting fast by recording birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 for 31 on the front nine. He also birdied the par-5 No. 14 on a comparatively quiet back nine.
“You can tell guys keep pressing the gas pedal around here, so I was happy to get off to a quick start and make some putts early — that always helps,” Jacobson said. “Yeah, around 10, making an eagle putt at that point, getting it going.
“The last few holes was a little tricky. It was a little tricky to get the putts to go in, but, overall, I think I hit pretty much all the fairways today and gave myself a lot of opportunities.”
Cink, who carded a first-round 66, shares the lead after making 10 birdies on Friday and just one blemish, a bogey at the par-4 No. 16.
“The wind was gentle out there, so there are scoring opportunities on this golf course,” Cink said on Friday. “But I said it yesterday, too, you still have to do it. You can’t just fall asleep out there and expect to make a whole bunch of birdies. You still have to be really dialed in.
“You are given the opportunity to hit the ball close and to take advantage of the par-5s, but you still have to do it,” Cink continued. “So that’s been a key for me the last couple days is just doing it. I haven’t been lackadaisical very often, I haven’t been relaxing and I’ve been focused when the time comes.”
Canada’s Stephen Ames, who led after the first round, slipped into a tie for third at 14 under with Argentina’s Angel Cabrera.
Cabrera carded the low round of the day with a 10-under 62, marked by just five pars. He made an eagle, on the par-5 No. 4, and 10 birdies — Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16. Cabrera lost strokes with bogeys at the par-4 No. 11 and the par-3 No. 17.
Ames had a less-adventurous 66 with seven birdies, one bogey and 10 pars.
Fred Couples is alone in fifth at 13 under after his 66. He made five consecutive birdies on Nos. 4-8 for a 31 on the front nine, birdied No. 10 and gave back a shot with a bogey at No. 12 before recording another birdie at No. 14.
The three-round tournament concludes Saturday.
–Field Level Media
