Jordan Spieth chipped in for eagle to take the first-round lead at the FedEx St Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, on Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee.
Spieth’s eagle at the par-5 16th hole at a rain-logged TPC Southwind vaulted him into the driver’s seat at 7 under, and he made two pars to finish off a bogey-free 63.
“I was telling (caddie Michael Greller) maybe sometime on the back nine, I was like, I feel good, but it doesn’t quite feel as tight as some of the days in the last week or so ball-striking,” Spieth said. “Then all of a sudden I ended up hitting a good one on 15 and then chipping in on 16, and all of a sudden, now it’s three strokes better.”
Tom Kim of South Korea is in second at 6-under 64, and Collin Morikawa and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo are tied for third at 5-under 65.
Lucas Glover, who qualified for the playoffs by winning last week’s Wyndham Championship, is part of a massive tie at 4-under 66.
The top 70 players from the season-long FedEx Cup points race earned berths into the playoffs, and only the top 50 in the standings after this tournament will advance to next week’s BMW Championship. There is no 36-hole cut at the FedEx St Jude Championship for the first time.
Spieth, the 2015 FedEx Cup champion, has not won on tour since the RBC Heritage in April 2022.
After birdieing three of his first five holes, including a 26-foot putt at No 5, Spieth put his tee shot at the par-3 11th inside 3 feet of the cup and drained a 12-footer for birdie at No 15.
Then came No 16, where his second shot landed in a depression right of the green. His bump-and-run chip tracked straight into the cup.
“I was never thinking about going high on that just because I think the closest I could get if I played it the way I wanted to was like 10 feet,” Spieth said, “and with the one I was hitting, I thought a bad shot, if I committed to hitting it hard enough, would be about 15 long.”
The eagle pushed Spieth past Kim, who is playing for the first time since he tied for second at The Open Championship. Kim sprained an ankle after the first round of The Open, but he played through the pain and shot 68-68-67 to close.
Kim started on the back nine and rolled in seven birdies by No 4 before picking up his only bogey at No 7. With the course still wet from storms in the area that began Wednesday, it was harder for Kim to get around carefully.
“I’m going to need to be able to watch it for the next few days, making sure I don’t do anything bad because it’s going to take a few weeks to fully heal,” Kim said. “Just got to make sure I watch it.”
Morikawa announced he would donate $1,000 for every birdie he makes in the FedEx Cup playoffs to aid wildfire recovery in Maui. He made six on Thursday with just one bogey.
Rory McIlroy takes dig at
Phil Mickelson amid gambling claims Rory McIlroy had a quick response when asked about claims that Phil Mickelson tried to place a $400,000 wager on the United States to win the 2012 Ryder Cup.
“At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be a part of it,” McIlroy told reporters after his opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship.
McIlroy has not been shy about sharing his negative reactions to players leaving the PGA Tour for LIV.
Although LIV players are not exempt from Ryder Cup competition this year, Mickelson is not at this time expected to compete.
McIlroy’s comments come after Billy Walters claims in his autobiography that six-time major winner Mickelson wagered $1bn on sports over 30 years.
Mickelson denies Ryder Cup bet after book claimPhil Mickelson has denied placing bets on the outcome of the 2012 Ryder Cup made by a former gambling associate.
In a statement distributed to US media, Mickelson hit back at claims by professional US gambler Billy Walters, who said the six-time major winner tried to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup in which he was playing.
In his statement, Mickelson denied betting on the Ryder Cup 11 years ago, when Europe made an astonishing final-day fightback to win what has become known as the “Miracle of Medinah.”
“I never bet on the Ryder Cup,” Mickelson said in the statement. “While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.”