Danny Lee leads WGC-Bridgestone Invitational; Jordan Spieth five back
Saturday 8 August 2015 01:15, UK
World No 2 Jordan Spieth lies five shots behind first-round leader Danny Lee after stuttering to an opening-round 70 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Spieth, who can replace Rory McIlroy as world No 1 with victory at Firestone this week, got off to a slow start with a blemish at the second and needed a seven-foot birdie at the 18th to end a difficult opening day tied-22nd on level par.
"I had quite a few (putts) that looked pretty good today that just didn't quite go," Spieth said, after his first round since narrowly missing out at the Open. "Considering it was my first round back after a two-week layover, I'm pleased with the way we finished."
New Zealander Lee, who only won his first PGA Tour title in a play-off at last month's Greenbrier Classic, birdied three of his first four holes en route to the top of the leaderboard in Akron, Ohio.
After bouncing back from a missed three-foot par save at the 15th, Lee nudged in from close range at the next and posted three further gains in a bogey-free second half to close a five-under 65.
Jim Furyk held a share of the lead with Lee until a final-hole blemish, two-putting from 12 feet after finding the rough to move alongside Graeme McDowell, who briefly had the outright advantage after a front-nine 31, on four under.
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A tap-in birdie at the first was followed by three further gains to help Rickie Fowler to a three-under 67, with the recent Scottish Open winner's only dropped shot coming via a bogey at the fourth.
"It wasn't the best ball striking today, and my swing and ball striking has been very good as of late," Fowler said. "I need a little bit of work on that, but it was nice for my short game to show up and save me a bit there. I had some key putts out there and good up and downs."
English trio Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were a shot behind in the group containing Victor Dubuisson and Henrik Stenson, with Japan’s Koumei Oda also in tie for sixth on two under after recovering from three early bogeys to card six birdies in seven holes either side of the turn.
A double-bogey at the last saw Hideki Matsuyama close an opening round 69 to join Dustin Johnson and Keegan Bradley four strokes off the pace, while back-to-back blemishes late in Jason Day's round keeps the Australian at one under.
Sergio Garcia, who lost a three-shot lead in the final round to Rory McIlroy 12 months ago, shot 71 after battling back superbly from a quadruple-bogey on the 16th - his seventh hole of the day. He found water with his approach, missed the green with his fifth shot and eventually three-putted.
Just four days after winning the Quicken Loans National, Troy Merritt's WGC debut opened with a bogey-filled 82, while five-time major champion Phil Mickelson is also at the bottom end of the leaderboard following a six-over 76.
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