MERRITT FIRES 63 AS TIGER STRUGGLES
Three share lead after first round of Ladies Scottish Open
With advancement in the FedEx Cup playoffs at stake, Woods has a listless first-round 75 and is in danger of missing the cut.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Troy Merritt isn’t obsessed with his position in the FedEx Cup and what he needs to advance in the PGA Tour’s postseason. He figures the best solution is good golf, and he delivered his best round of the year Thursday in The Northern Trust.
Merritt began with a 10-foot par save, followed with a pair of 20-foot birdie putts and took advantage of calm, rain-softened Liberty National by tying the course record with a 9-under 62 for a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson.
It wasn’t a career low — Merritt twice has shot 61 on the PGA Tour — but it might have been his best round hardly anyone saw.
The storm was so fierce on the eve of the FedEx Cup playoffs opener that the public was not allowed in until 10 a.m., nearly three hours after the round began. And when the fans arrived, most of them were watching the action — what little there was — two groups behind him with Tiger Woods.
Woods, in only his third round since the U.S. Open, made double bogey on the shortest hole on the course, three-putted from 15 feet and had three bogeys from the fairway in a listless round of 75. Along with being 13 shots out of the lead, he was in danger of missing the cut for the first time in the FedEx Cup playoffs, which also would jeopardize a return to East Lake for the Tour Championship.
“We all knew it was soft out here with the rain last night,” Woods said. “I knew I had to go get it, post a low one, and didn’t do it. It’s certainly out there. Greens are soft. Fairways are soft. You can play aggressively and not have any real ramifications for playing aggressive.”
Johnson ran off four straight birdies near the end of his round for a 63, a good start in a tournament he already has won twice.
Kevin Kisner and Jon Rahm were at 64, while the group at 65 included Rory McIlroy and the suddenly hot Webb Simpson, who posted his sixth straight round of 65 or better dating to the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational two weeks ago.
LPGA: In North Berwick, Scotland, Jane Park, Anne van Dam and Mi Hyang Lee took advantage of calm conditions in the opening round of the Ladies Scottish Open, shooting 8-under 63s to share the lead.
Lee won the Ladies Scottish Open two years ago at Dundonald. The veteran Park and the rookie van Dam are seeking their first LPGA Tour victories.
Moriya Jutanugarn was one shot back on a sunny day of low scoring at The Renaissance Club, a resort links next to Muirfield on Scotland’s east coast. Players were bracing for wind and rain today.
“When I see the forecast, today is like best day and then tomorrow is worst day,” Lee said. “So my plan, my kind of plan was I try to make a lot of birdies.”
Van Dam, a long-hitting Dutch player known for viral videos of her swing, hit a 5-iron to 4 feet for eagle on the par-5 first hole and 6-iron to 3 feet for another eagle on the par-5 12th. She wasn’t pleased that tees were moved up on several holes, including those on which she took full advantage.
“… (On) a day like today, the weather was just perfect. I saw no need to do that,” van Dam said. “You’re talking to the best players in the world in the females’ game. I don’t think we need any short courses, not at all. If it’s a day like tomorrow, when it rains a lot, fine.”
Van Dam is seeking to lock up her spot on Europe’s Solheim Cup team along with ensuring full LPGA Tour playing privileges next season.
“I’m just looking forward to playing a solid week of golf,” she said. “Whatever happens at the end of the week, I can’t control that.”
Su Oh, Caroline Hedwall and Chella Choi each shot 65.
Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn, winless since last year’s triumph at Gullane, opened with a 69.
Park dedicated her round to her husband, Pete Godfrey, who caddies for Ariya Jutanugarn and celebrated his birthday on Thursday.
“I think he’s going to ditch me and go play North Berwick,” Park said about her husband’s birthday plans. “So that means I’ve got a day to myself. We might go to dinner later, but yeah, he’s going to play golf.”