Stewart Cink is riding a wave of momentum that shows no signs of slowing down. Just two weeks after capturing the Senior PGA Championship in Florida for his third victory of the year on the PGA Tour Champions, Cink picked up right where he left off. On Thursday, he birdied the par-5 18th hole to card a 7-under 65, earning a share of the first-round lead with Alex Cejka at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama.

This tournament marks the second major of the year on the 50-and-over tour, and Cink is already making his presence felt. His round featured eight birdies and just one bogey at Greystone Golf & Country Club. Despite the impressive scorecard, Cink described his day in an unexpected way: "I was excited at how boring today was. Does that make sense? It wasn't like the kind of day where you're chipping in and holing putts, dramatic stuff happening everywhere." For a player in top form, a "boring" round often means steady, mistake-free golf—and that's a dangerous combination for the rest of the field.

Joining him at the top is Cejka, the 2021 Regions Tradition champion, who posted a bogey-free 65 with seven birdies. The course clearly suits his game. "There's certain courses, they fit the players' eyes," Cejka said. "I've been playing here well in the past and today I played solid. I didn't really make stupid mistakes."

Just one stroke back at 66 are Steven Alker, Charlie Wi, and Scott Hend, setting up a tightly packed leaderboard. At 67, a group of familiar names including Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, Dicky Pride, and Thongchai Jaidee are lurking close behind. Meanwhile, Retief Goosen—fresh off his victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic last week in Georgia—opened with a solid 68, proving he's another contender to watch.

With so much talent near the top, the Regions Tradition is shaping up to be a thrilling battle. Whether it's Cink's "boring" brilliance or Cejka's course comfort, this major is far from decided.