Leishman’s 62 leads BMW Championship

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Marc Leishman left his clubs in the garage during his week break from the FedEx Cup playoffs and it didn’t make a difference. He had 10 birdies in his opening round of 9-under 62 and built a two-shot lead in the BMW Championship. Leishman finished third two weeks ago at the TPC Boston and moved to No. 7 in the FedEx Cup. His goal is to get into the top five going into the final event at the Tour Championship.

Jason Day, playing for the first time using a high school friend as his caddie, was 7 under for his last 11 holes and shot 64. Jamie Lovemark and Charley Hoffman also opened at 64.

Jordan Spieth had a bogey-free 65, while Phil Mickelson shot 66, also without a bogey.

Spieth, a runner-up in the last two FedEx Cup playoff events to take over the No. 1 spot in the standings, turned a wild tee shot into a birdie on the opening hole, added a 30-foot birdie from off the green at No. 5 and settled down the rest of the way.

Also at 65 was Rickie Flower, who ran off six straight birdies, capped by a 65-foot pitch from short of the 17th green.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup after this week make it to the Tour Championship at East Lake for a mathematical shot at the $10-million bonus. The top five players — Spieth, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson already are assured that position — would only have to win at East Lake to claim golf’s richest prize.

Thomas shot 67 and Johnson carded a 71 on Thursday.