Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez shot a 6-under 66 to lead the first round of the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida. The event features PGA Tour Champions players alongside NFL legends, with debuts from Zach Johnson and Ben Crane performing strongly. Defending champions Tim Brown and Angel Cabrera struggled in challenging conditions.
The James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational began its first round on March 6, 2026, at the Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton. This unique tournament combines 54-hole stroke play for PGA Tour Champions professionals with a 36-hole competition for 26 NFL Hall of Famers, concluding for football players on Saturday and golfers on Sunday.
Ricardo Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Argentine, took the lead with a bogey-free 66, two strokes better than the shared first-round lead from the 2025 event. He seeks his second PGA Tour Champions victory in his 65th start, following his 2024 Trophy Hassan II win. Stewart Cink sits one stroke back at 5-under 67, aiming for a third consecutive victory after recent successes.
Among debutants, Ben Crane carded a 3-under 69 on his 50th birthday, tying for fifth. Two-time major winner Zach Johnson, who turned 50 on February 24, opened with a 2-under 70, tying for eighth. Johnson, a 12-time PGA Tour winner with over $50 million in earnings and captain of the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team, described the transition to the senior tour as feeling like a 'rook' again. "I’m going with both feet in," he said. "I’ve got to go out and earn it."
Defending champions faced difficulties: NFL legend Tim Brown finished at +5 net with his handicap, while PGA's Angel Cabrera scored +6. Five NFL players tied for the lead at +1 net: Warren Sapp, Jimbo Covert, Dwight Freeney, Cris Carter, and Drew Brees. Brees commented, "Playing along some of best of world gives you something aspire to." Carter added, "This course brutal the wind the green lighting but I'm going to have a lot of fun."
Chubb Classic champion David Toms matched Johnson and others at 2-under without a bogey. Mark Calcavecchia withdrew due to illness. George McNeill and Steve Allan tied for third at 4-under in their early Champions Tour starts.
