Spieth among five sharing Memphis lead as PGA playoffs open
Five Golfers Share Memphis Lead as PGA Playoffs Begin
Bharatmorningnews.com – Five American golfers found themselves tied at the top of the leaderboard following Thursday’s opening round at the PGA Tour St. Jude Championship. Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth, seeking to conclude a four-year title drought, carded a seven-under-par 65 to claim a share of the lead at sweltering TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
The field of leaders included fellow Americans Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Michael Kim, all finishing at 65 after 18 holes. This marks the highest number of players to share the first-round lead in any playoff event in history.
Chasing Pack and Conditions
A group of contenders followed closely on 66, featuring major winners Adam Scott, Gary Woodland, and Hideki Matsuyama alongside defending playoff champion Tommy Fleetwood. The oppressive heat emerged as the primary obstacle for competitors throughout the day.
“Heat is the biggest challenge,” Scott said. “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 missed the event due to a back injury, leaving 69 golfers competing for the top 50 positions in points to secure advancement to next week’s second playoff stage in St. Louis.
Spieth’s Patient Approach
Spieth, who qualified for the playoffs despite lacking a top-10 finish in 2026, previously captured the 2015 Masters and US Open titles along with the 2017 British Open. His last PGA Tour victory came at the 2022 Heritage event.
His round featured five birdies across seven holes, beginning with a 12-foot putt on the ninth hole. He then sank a 40-footer on the par-three 11th, followed by a 24-foot birdie at the 13th, and capped the streak with a 17-foot putt at the 15th.
“I just tried to come into this week and be as patient, nonreactive, as possible, dumb it down to try to win,” Spieth said. “Just knowing I’m a lot better golfer than I’ve been in a very long time and continue to believe in that.”
Currently sitting at 54th in the points standings, Spieth requires a strong finish to progress through the playoffs but described his opening round as “about as stress-free as it can be.”
Other Notable Performances
Thorbjornsen overcame both illness and the intense heat to deliver an impressive round. He secured an eagle from an eight-foot putt at the 16th hole and added two birdies across his final four holes, finishing 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 enjoyed a strong start to his round. “I like that part of it. Opening with three birdies is always nice,” Knapp said. “I hit the ball really well all day.”
Kitayama was three-under-par through the opening three holes and also birdied two of his final four holes. Meanwhile, Scheffler reflected on his strategy: “I didn’t feel like I hit a ton of fairways. I was in the first cut a lot. I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much.”
Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, struggled on the back nine. He finished at 74, placing 68th overall, after consecutive bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes followed by a double bogey at the 18th, where his tee shot landed in water.
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