Weather was perfect, course was perfect, everything was just right for a scoring spree during Day One at the BMW. Here’s a few highlights of what transpired over the first round at Conway Farms, in this third leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The field of 70 became 69 in a hurry when Danny Lee went down during his round. Lee was flat on his back, sent for help but was in no condition to continue. He withdrew and cast shadows over his chances to play in the Presidents Cup at the end of the month.
Marc Leishman unleashed with a nine-under par 62. He’s been a fixture the past two events and he showed on Thursday that he hasn’t cooled off. He shot 30 on the front nine with a bogey! Ten birdies on the day. Made it look easy.
Jason Day got along well without his long-time coach on the bag. Just shows that when these guys get on a roll, it doesn’t matter who’s on the bag. Day shot a seven-under par 64 despite the fact that he tweaked his back a bit on the final nine holes.
Jordan Spieth is right there. He opened with 65, six-under and missed some opportunities coming home. Despite that, it was the start he was looking for.
Rickie Fowler joined Spieth at six-under and set a personal best in the process. After a lackluster front nine, Fowler got it going starting on the 12th hole and made six straight birdies — a personal best. Most he’d ever made was four straight.
Keegan Bradley and Rafa Cabrera Bello were in that 65 group with Fowler and Spieth.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot even par 71, nothing to write home about.
Number 3 Hideki Matsuyama continued his not-so-hot playoff performance. He turned in a one-over par 72 and birdied the last hole to do that.
Justin Thomas (No. 4), put himself in the thick of it with a 67. He drove the green on the 334-yard par four 15th, only player in the field to do that.
Jon Rahm (No. 5), ran hot-and-cold and shot 69.
Phil Mickelson opened with a 66 and raved about how he is feeling so much better and is able to focus well for 18 holes. Said he felt a lot of pressure to perform well two weeks ago and justify his spot as a captain’s pick by Steve Stricker for the Presidents Cup.
Charley Hoffman, the other U.S. captain’s pick, tied Day with a 64. So did Jamie Lovemark.
Rory McIlroy shot 72 and the chances of him advancing after Sunday are getting really slim.
Henrik Stenson is doing his best to play himself out of the Top 30. He shot 72. He’s currently 26th.
Same for Louis Oosthuizen. He’s currently 24th but after shooting 77 on Thursday, he’ll have to work pretty hard to keep from missing the top 30. He came into the week at No. 26.
There is no cut this week but the biggest cut of all comes on Sunday when only 30 of the remaining 69 players move on to the Tour Championship at East Lake.
