Golf: Koepka finds form, leads by 2 shots over Fowler and Todd after Memphis opening round

MEMPHIS (REUTERS) - Brooks Koepka fired an eight-under 62 in the opening round of the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational on Thursday (July 30) to get his title defence in Memphis off to a flying start.

The world No. 6 golfer has struggled in his last three tournaments and has had pain in his surgically repaired left knee but was smoking out of the gate, nailing birdies on his first four holes.

His lone bogey came on the par-four seventh but he responded with birdies on this next two holes and was flawless on the back nine, adding three more birdies to sit two strokes clear of fellow Americans Rickie Fowler and Brendon Todd.

"I drove it well, putted well, chipped it well," said Koepka, whose 62 matched his career-low round on the tour. "I did everything very solid. I never really felt like I was having to work too hard out there, so that's a little different than it has been."

After missing the cut at the 3M Open last week, Koepka was able to reconnect with coach Pete Cowen for the first time since March due to coronavirus-enforced separation and said his tough love approach helped motivate him.

"With Pete, it's more psychological," he said. "He'll beat me down, tell me I can't do something, he'll jump on me pretty good and I enjoy that when someone tells me I can't do something.

"Telling me I'm not going to win, it will be a while... I appreciate everything that Pete does, even though he is chewing me out."

Koepka will be looking to win his third straight PGA Championship and fifth major overall next week in San Francisco.

Fowler also put a poor recent run (missing the cut in five of his last nine tournaments) behind him, drilling birdies on three of his final five holes for a six-under 64.

The 31-year-old drained a 30-foot birdie at the penultimate hole before making his only bogey of the day at the last where his tee shot found the rough.

Todd made four birdies in a row before making the turn and finished his day with a nine-foot birdie putt to also card a 64.

Kang Sung of South Korea was alone on 65.

Matt Kuchar and Chez Reavie carded 66s, while Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia were among those in the clubhouse a further shot off the pace after 67s in a loaded event featuring 44 of the top 50 players in the world rankings.

World No. 57 Kang, who missed three cuts and finished no better than a share of 46th since the PGA Tour returned from a three-month Covid-19 hiatus, offset an early bogey with six birdies.

"I've been really struggling off the tee last probably four, five weeks and I figured something out last week," said Kang.

"That was the big key today.

"And then my iron play was really good and I made some really good putts on and off and I really had a good round today."