Spieth rallies with six straight birdies

The RBC Heritage began two months later than usual with a little rain, a little sunshine and a lot of birdies, most of them from Jordan Spieth to turn a rough start into a furious finish.

Ian Poulter holed a 30foot birdie putt and followed with a 5-iron to 4 feet for a birdie that closed out his round of 7-under 64, giving him a share of the lead Thursday with Mark Hubbard at Hilton Head.

“I’ve always loved coming here to play golf,” said Poulter, and he has plenty of company this year.

The RBC Heritage, typically a week after the Masters in April, is the second tournament since the PGA Tour returned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top three players in the world are at Hilton Head — Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas — and none broke par on a day in which 66 players in the 151-man field shot in the 60s. A year ago, only 38 players in the 132-man field opened with rounds in the 60s.

Spieth wouldn’t have guessed he would be one of them after he was 3 over through three holes.

Determined to at least try to get under par for his round, Spieth had a careerbest six straight birdies on his back nine and finished with seven birdies over his last eight holes for a 66.

Poulter and Hubbard, who started birdie-eagle, were a shot ahead of a group that included Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer and Viktor Hovland, Colonial winner Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Ernie Els and that incredible bulk, Bryson DeChambeau, were in the large group at 67 and Dustin Johnson had a 68.