Spieth among 5 sharing lead as PGA play-offs open
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Aside from Spieth, fellow Americans Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama, Michael Thorbjornsen and Michael Kim were also at 65 after 18 holes in the FedEx Cup play-off opener at sweltering TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON – Three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth, trying to end a four-year victory drought, fired a seven-under 65 to share the lead after the first round of the PGA Tour St Jude Championship on Aug 13.
Fellow Americans Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama, Michael Thorbjornsen and Michael Kim were also at 65 after 18 holes in the FedEx Cup play-off opener under sweltering conditions at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
It marked the most players to share the lead in any play-off event after the first round.
Hot on their heels on 66 was a pack including Major winners Adam Scott, Gary Woodland and Hideki Matsuyama plus defending play-off champion Tommy Fleetwood.
“Heat is the biggest challenge,” said Scott, 46. “Just pacing yourself. I don’t think you can drink enough.
“You sweat a lot out there. The thing that comes with that is the mental errors. But overall, I played a pretty good round.”
American Daniel Berger was absent owing to a back injury, leaving 69 golfers trying to reach the top 50 in points to qualify for next week’s second play-off event in St Louis.
Spieth, who reached the play-offs without a top-10 finish in 2026, won the 2015 Masters and US Open and 2017 British Open but has not taken a PGA title since the 2022 Heritage.
He reeled off five birdies in seven holes, starting with a 12-foot putt at the ninth.
He sank a 40-foot putt at the par-three 11th, a 24-footer at the 13th and closed the run on a 17-foot birdie putt at 15.
“I just tried to come into this week and be as patient, non-reactive, as possible, dumb it down to try to win,” said the 33-year-old. “Just knowing I’m a lot better golfer than I’ve been in a very long time and continue to believe in that.”
At 54th in points, he needs a good result to advance in the play-offs but called his round “about as stress-free as it can be”.
Thorbjornsen battled illness and the heat but had an eagle off an eight-foot putt at 16 and two birdies on the last four holes, closing with a 40-foot chip-in. “It was a little tough dealing with the heat and there’s still a sickness, kind of hacking up on every hole, but I was very solid tee to green,” he said.
Knapp birdied his first three and last three holes.
“I like that part of it. Opening with three birdies is always nice,” Knapp said. “I hit the ball really well all day.”
Kim birdied three of the first five holes and two of the final four.
“Nice to get off to a good start,” Kim said. “Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Kitayama was three-under over the first three holes and also birdied two of the last four.
“Really liked how I hit it,” Kitayama said. “I gave myself a lot of good looks.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shared 17th on 68.
“I didn’t feel like I hit a ton of fairways. I was in the first cut a lot,” said the 30-year-old American. “I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much.
“I was right on the edge of having a good day kind of all day.”
Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, was 68th, next to last, on 74 after bogeys at 16 and 17 and a double bogey at 18, where his tee shot found water. AFP
