Sixty-three years old, 57th in the points race, and somehow still in the mix. Vijay Singh started the week 57th in the Charles Schwab Cup race and is now tied for the lead at the SAS Championship with one round to play. Singh, Tim O’Neal and Freddie Jacobson sit at 6-under 138 after a cold, wet Saturday in Cary, North Carolina, according to PGA Tour coverage of the round.
That is the regular-season finale on PGA Tour Champions. It is also not a normal leaderboard.
A 36-hole lead nobody has needed all year at the SAS Championship
The 36-hole lead is 138, the highest of the 2026 Champions season. In fact, the previous high was 136, as GolfToday reported. Cold and wind at Prestonwood Country Club did what they usually do: they flattened the scoring (and, one assumes, the mood in the gallery).
Here is how the trio got there:
- Tim O’Neal: 70-68. He closed with three straight birdies for a 4-under 68.
- Vijay Singh: 69-69. He stayed steady in both rounds.
- Freddie Jacobson: 68-70. However, he made just 16 pars and two birdies on Saturday.
O’Neal gave the weather some credit. “The last three holes are downwind, so that did make it a little easier,” he said, per Field Level Media.
Finishing birdie, birdie, birdie in conditions like these is a nice way to get a little help.
Three very different paths through Prestonwood
Singh, from Fiji, is a six-time winner on this tour. This is his ninth SAS Championship, and his best finishes here are a tie for second in 2017, third in 2020 and a tie for fifth in 2023. Still, his best result this season in 16 starts is a tie for 11th.
A win would be a big surprise. A strong Sunday would not be.
O’Neal, 54, is chasing his second Champions win after the 2024 Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Notably, this is the first time he has led or co-led heading into a final round on the tour. His history at this Champions Tour SAS event has also been improving: tied for 27th in 2023, tied for 17th in 2024, tied for fourth in 2025.
Jacobson, a 52-year-old Swede, has been knocking on the door all year with eight top-10s in 19 starts. Even so, he has no Champions win yet. That is the number he is playing to change. For a sense of how hard these tour cards are to earn at any age, see our look at the brutal road through PGA Tour Q-School.
Here’s the thing: the Charles Schwab Cup finale is on the line
This is not only about a trophy. SAS is the fifth and final points event of the “Sprint to St. Louis.” When play ends Sunday, the three biggest Schwab Cup points earners across those five events become finalists for the season finale in St. Louis.
That makes a big week count twice. Singh arrived 57th in the Schwab Cup standings, while O’Neal arrived 27th and Jacobson 20th. As a result, a win or a close finish can change a season’s story fast.
The full finalist cutoff has not been confirmed, so watch the standings after the final putt. If you love a money race, Scottie Scheffler’s climb to the PGA Tour’s all-time money lead is a good companion read.
Who is lurking at the SAS Championship
The lead is not safe. Chad Campbell and Soren Kjeldsen are one shot back at 5-under 139, and Mathew Goggin is at 4-under 140. Ernie Els is among six players tied for sixth at 4-under.
Round 1 leader Retief Goosen shot 65 on Friday. A few good holes Sunday will scramble this board.
The final round is Sunday on Golf Channel, per the tournament page. Meanwhile, the sponsor drama elsewhere on tour, like the PGA Tour’s split with ONEflight, will have to wait.
So here is the question: does a 63-year-old who started the week 57th in the points race hold up when everyone else starts chasing him?
