The PGA Tour playoffs are underway in the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.
Here are news, updates and highlights from the opening round in Memphis, Tennessee (reminder: the top 50 in FedExCup points after this week’s event qualify for the BMW Championship):
Day 1 in the books at the FedEx St. Jude
Jordan Spieth entertains as always in Round 1
It wasn’t a wild round from Spieth as he had four birdies and two bogeys in shooting 2-under 68. But, he did provide some prescient commentary.
Confirmed: @JordanSpieth can predict the future 😲
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 15, 2024
(Presented by @CDWCorp) pic.twitter.com/qsuC0AxcR6
Scottie Scheffler matches Xander Schauffele’s 66
The top 2 in the FedExCup standings played alongside one another in Round 1 (and will do so again in Round 2). Scheffler, like Schauffele, got off to a great start, going 4 under through six. He made one birdie and one bogey over the remainder of his round.
Players are routinely paired in the first two rounds of playoff events based on their FEC positions. That means we could see a lot of Scheffler and Schauffele together. The two players were asked about one another Thursday evening, which Scheffler found mildly amusing.
“It’s fun just being out here competing. I find it a little weird you guys are asking me questions about him and he’s literally right there,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s a lot of fun. It’s fun being out here competing. It’s fun competing with your friends, but we want to beat up on each other, so it’s a lot of fun playing with the best players and competing.”
Scottie Scheffler picks up where he left off in Paris, 4-under through his first six in Memphis. 🔥🤷♂️
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 15, 2024
📺 Golf Channel & Peacock | @FedExChamp pic.twitter.com/KoqorYjvLk
Xander Schauffele starts hot, cools down on steamy Memphis Thursday
With the heat index increasing to 107 degrees, Schauffele birdied his first three holes in Round 1. He only made one birdie over his final 15 holes but he didn’t drop a shot, and shot 4-under 66 to sit two off the lead.
Hideki Matsuyama’s wild week settles down with a 65
Matsuyama was robbed of his wallet on his way to Memphis and his caddie and coach were forced to return to Japan as their passports and visas were stolen.
Using a different caddie on Thursday, the bronze medal winner made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine at TPC Southwind in finishing one off the lead.
After his round, Matsuyama described the incident, which happened during a layover on his way from Paris to Memphis.
“We were just going to spend one night in London, and it happened in downtown London,” he said.
“We didn’t even know it happened. We were just having a friendly dinner, and Shota (his caddie) was the first one, hey, where is my bag. Of course it was frustrating, but we really didn’t know it happened. It was just kind of all of a sudden.”
Matsuyama, who is eighth in FEC points, said his caddie, Shota Hayato, will likely be back for the Tour Championship but not so his coach.
Rory McIlroy finishes off 68 with brilliant birdie
McIlroy, a three-time FedExCup champ, had two birdies, two bogeys and an eagle in shooting 2-under 68.
He concluded his day with this impressive shot near a tree on the 18th.
Rory McIlroy hits an exceptional shot from well off the fairway on 18! 🎯
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 15, 2024
📺 Golf Channel & Peacock | @FedExChamp pic.twitter.com/ryTGSRviQv
Matthieu Pavon rebounds from disappointing Olympic result
The Frenchman finished last out of the 58 players who completed 72 holes at Le Golf National. Now, he finds himself in contention at the FedEx St. Jude following an opening 5-under 65.
“To be fair, I didn’t know really what to expect after the bad Olympics week I had. But grinded hard last week, felt a little bit better and better every day, and I found myself pretty comfortable today on the golf course,” he said. “Didn’t make big mistakes, avoiding big numbers, and on small yardages I managed to hit the ball quite close to the pins and make some birdies, so that was a pretty good round.”
Chris Kirk makes hole-in-one in taking FedEx St. Jude lead
Kirk, currently 28th in points, shot 6-under 64 on Thursday to take the clubhouse lead. His day included a hole-in-one at the par-3 14th, what he believes is his ninth career ace.
Chris Kirk HOLE-IN-ONE for an early three-shot lead at TPC Southwind! 🔥🤯
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 15, 2024
🎥 @PGATOUR, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/lHjTS1QHV9
Kirk described after his round:
“The adjusted number I think was 200 or 201 [yards]. We had it a little bit down the hill, just a breath of breeze off the right, and 6-iron for me, which was, in this heat, it’s a perfect number. I’m usually around 196 or 197 with a 6-iron. Everything is going a couple yards further with the heat this week. Great number. I was looking a little further left than that with water on the right, but as soon as I hit it, I hit it just how I wanted to contact-wise, looked up, saw it started a touch right but was drawing right back to it. Yeah, nice bonus.”
What’s the temperature at the FedEx St. Jude?
More big scores for Max Greyserman
Coming off his meltdown over the closing holes at the Wyndham Championship — where he made a quad and a double to lose a four-shot lead and finish second — Greyserman began the St. Jude with a double-bogey 6.
He added another double to his card on his way to a 5-over 75. He began the week 47th in FedExCup points.
Justin Rose off to good start in bid to make second playoff event
Rose followed up his T-2 at The Open Championship with a few weeks off and a missed cut at the Wyndham Championship.
He’s faring better thus far in Memphis, shooting 4-under 66 in the first round to sit T-4 and three off the lead midway through Thursday. He began the week 55th in FedExCup points.