Patrick Reed is dangling in the last automatic position for the upcoming U.S. Ryder Cup team.
The top eight are in and he is sitting right there at No. 8.
He made a move Thursday at the Barclays in hopes of clinching his spot for the upcoming matches at Hazeltine. Reed, playing in the morning, shot a five-under par 66 and is the day one co-leader with Martin Laird at Bethpage Black.
It won’t hurt his PGA Tour Playoff hopes either.
Reed got off to a blazing start with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine of the difficult layout. Coming home, he held on with nine straight pars. It’s a major feat to get around Bethpage Black without a bogey.
There are plenty of big names stepping up in this first event of the playoffs.
World’s No. 1 Jason Day and FedEx Cup points leader Jason Day was only two back after opening with 68.
World’s No. 2 Dustin Johnson was heard from, he came in with a one-under par 70 while Adam Scott, another top five player in the Cup standings, put up a 69.
The winds came up in the afternoon and made things tougher for the later groups. J.B. Holmes had the best afternoon round — a four-under par 67 that got him in a group one off the lead with Emiliano Grillo, Kevin Chappell and Rickie Fowler.
Jordan Spieth’s day was a microcosm of his season — up and down. Spieth shot two-under par on the front but three back-nine bogeys left him at even par for his round. Spieth is the defending FedEx Cup champion.
Rory McIlroy was in the same boat. He ditched his Nike putter but still didn’t make anything from outside seven feet. “It was tougher in the afternoon and even par was fair for how I played,” McIlroy said after his day finished.
