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Stephen Ames tees off on one during the second round of The Galleri Classic at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Saturday, March 29, 2025. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nStephen Ames of Canada made the most of his first round of the 2026 PGA Tour Champions season, turning in an 8-under-par 64 for a one-stroke lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on Thursday in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Ames amassed five birdies in a six-hole stretch at Nos. 2-7 on his way to a bogey-free round at Hualalai Golf Course.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “The weather was a bit benign, no wind, so it’s kind of there for the taking. I saw the scores were going up quickly. (72-year-old Jay Haas) started off the same. Wasn’t he like 5 under after seven or something, too?<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “I thought, \u2018Jesus, if an old man like that can do it, so can I, right?”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Indeed, Haas rolled in five birdies over his first six holes on his way to shooting a 6-under 66 — a remarkable six shots lower than his age.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n “Yeah, that was pretty unexpected,” Haas said. “You have the potential to go low early on at this golf course, but I just hit a lot of good shots, drove the ball really well all day. Had good opportunities early on, managed to make the most of those.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Fred Couples and Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson are one behind Ames at 7-under 65, while Haas is in a large tie for fourth with David Duval, Stewart Cink, Canadian Mike Weir, Australia’s Richard Green, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and South Africa’s Ernie Els.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Couples recovered from a bogey at No. 2 by birdieing and eagling Nos. 3-4.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “Here we are starting 2026 on a course that I absolutely love over par,” Couples said. “But I birdied 3 and eagled 4, which kind of gave me a nice “let’s get going.” I drove it well, I hit some good irons and when I did get it close enough, I seemed to make the putts.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n