BMW Championship: Justin Thomas, Jason Kokrak share lead at Medinah
Thursday 15 August 2019 23:59, UK
Justin Thomas fired a bogey-free 65 to hold a share of the lead after the opening round of the BMW Championship, where Tiger Woods got off to a slow start.
Thomas struck seven birdies on a day of extremely low scoring at Medinah Country Club, where only two of the 69-man field finished over par, to join Jason Kokrak at the top of the leaderboard.
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World No 1 Brooks Koepka joined defending FedExCup champion Justin Rose in posting an opening-round 68, with Rory McIlroy four strokes back on three under and Woods facing a battle to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship after a one-under 71.
"I probably would say that I had the worst warm-up I've ever had in my life this morning," Thomas said. "I didn't know what it was going to do. I'm usually pretty good at finding my way around a golf course and finding something, but definitely didn't expect that today."
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Playing alongside Adam Scott and Paul Casey, Thomas fired his approach at the par-four fourth to tap-in range and took advantage of the par-five fifth and seventh, before holing a 10-footer at the ninth to close a front-nine 32.
The former world No 1 converted from six feet to save par at the 11th and 13th and extend his blemish-free card, with Thomas then following back-to-back birdies from the 14th by draining a monster 55-footer at the 16th on his way to setting the clubhouse target.
Kokrak joined Thomas on seven under after pitching-in an eagle at the 10th and adding three birdies on his back nine, while Jim Furyk and Joel Dahmen sit in the group sharing third spot after both making bogey-free starts to the week.
Lucas Glover, Patrick Cantlay and Brandt Snedeker complete the quintet on six under, with FedExCup leader Koepka on four under and a shot ahead of playing partner McIlroy after posting an eagle and three birdies in a five-hole stretch over his back nine.
McIlroy rolled in a 10-footer at the first although missed an opportunity from halve the distance at the third, before cancelling out a three-putt bogey at the fourth with a two-putt gain at the par-five next.
The Northern Irishman failed to take advantage of the par-five 10th but almost holed his approach at the next, leaving a tap-in birdie, with McIlroy holing a 10-foot birdie at the 15th and then closing out an opening-round 69 with a run of pars.
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Watch the BMW Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday with Featured Groups from 3pm via the red button.
