Jordan Spieth has chipped in for eagle to take the first-round lead at the FedEx St Jude Championship, the first leg of the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs in Memphis, Tennessee.
Spieth’s three at the par-5 16th hole at TPC Southwind vaulted him into the driver’s seat with a seven-under-par 63, with Cam Davis three shots behind and the best of the two Australians in the elite 70-man field.
South Korean Tom Kim is outright second following a 64, with Collin Morikawa and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo sharing third a stroke back at five under.
Davis and Lucas Glover, who qualified for the playoffs by winning last week’s Wyndham Championship, are bunched in a 10-way tie for fifth.
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.
Australian Jason Day, sitting 11th in the standings entering this week, made a decent start with a two-under 68 to be mid-field in joint 34th spot.
Points leader Jon Rahm of Spain 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 of Northern Ireland, entering the week second and third respectivelt, each shot three-under 67 on Thursday.
Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, has not won on tour since the RBC Heritage in April 2022.