Gove tied for seventh after round one of Senior PGA Championship

BETHESDA, Md. — Sandpoint's Jeff Gove is tied for seventh out of 155 golfers after shooting a 2-under-par 70 during round one of the 2025 Senior PGA Championship held Thursday at the Congressional Country Club.

Gove, the PGA Director of Instruction at The Idaho Club, shot four birdies and posted scores of 35 on both the front and back nine holes. He sits at three strokes behind the leader, Cameron Percy of Australia, who shot a 5-under-par 67 during round one.

"Pretty good," Gove said about his first round in a press conference. "I haven't played a lot of golf lately, so I'm excited to get back into the competitiveness. Started out with a couple of birdies, hung in there all day and then it got pretty tough on the back nine. A couple of little errors here and there, but overall played really well, so it was a lot of fun."

The conditions were a bit rough during round one, which saw temperatures in the mid-50s coupled with rain and wind.

"It got pretty brutal out there on holes three, four, five and six," Gove said. "I thought we were going to get a break and then another front came in as we were coming in. The course itself is really fun to play, it's not anything like I remember. It's fun to be on a course that's in immaculate condition — the greens are perfect. Really, really a treat to be here."

Gove said he's ultimately at the tournament to have a good time, but if he feels like he's still in contention over the following days, he'll know what to do.

"I don't have the reps or anything, so I'm trying not to get frustrated when I don't hit good shots, but I definitely fell right back into my routine ..." Gove said.

Gove has a history of playing on professional tours, but is currently dedicating his career to teaching the game as a PGA of America Golf Professional. He is one of 36 club professionals competing this week among the world's best senior golfers as part of the Corebridge Financial Team. He's up against major champions such as Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and more.

The Senior PGA Championship, regarded as the most historic major championship in men's senior golf, resumes today. The tournament will conclude Sunday after all four rounds of golf have been played.