Jordan Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, holds one-shot lead over Tom Kim after opening round of FedEx St. Jude Championship; Continue to watch the PGA Tour's FedEx St. Jude Championship live on Friday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf
Friday 11 August 2023 09:57, UK
Jordan Spieth chipped in for eagle to take the first-round lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedExCup Playoffs, on Thursday in Memphis.
Spieth's eagle at the par-five 16th hole at TPC Southwind, plus five birdies, vaulted him into the driver's seat at seven under, and he made two pars to finish off a bogey-free 63.
He goes into round two in Memphis leading Tom Kim by one shot and admitted he has been working on his putting.
"Quite a bit of putting. I played really well at the British. Tee to green, I played well enough to win," he said afterwards.
"I didn't feel like I missed many of my lines. I just couldn't quite get the matching of the line and speed on the greens.
"Now we come to slopey Bermuda and very fast slopey Bermuda where I feel a little more comfortable picking lines and kind of feeding the ball in using gravity.
"I think that helped, along with quite a bit of work as best I could in Texas right now, which is really from the hours of 7am to noon before it's almost unbearable.
"Just tightened some things up. I tried to play a lot just to shoot scores. I had kind of taken off playing a bunch, and I think that that helped a bit in the last couple weeks."
Kim of South Korea is in second at six-under 64, and Collin Morikawa and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo are tied for third at five-under 65. Lucas Glover, who qualified for the playoffs by winning last week's Wyndham Championship, is part of a massive tie at four-under 66.
The top 70 players from the season-long FedExCup 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.
FedExCup points leader Jon Rahm had a double bogey and four bogeys en route to a forgettable, three-over 73, putting him tied for 65th.
Were he to finish the tournament that far down the leaderboard, he is still projected to hold onto the No 1 spot. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, entering the week Nos. 2 and 3, each shot three-under 67 on Thursday.
Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, has not won on tour since the RBC Heritage in April 2022.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the FedExCup Playoffs live this August on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship continues on Friday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf.
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