Spieth shares PGA Byron Nelson lead after bogey-free 63
WASHINGTON: One week before playing for a career Grand Slam, hometown hero Jordan Spieth fired a bogey-free nine-under par 63 on Thursday to share the lead at the US PGA Byron Nelson tournament.
Three-time major winner Spieth sank a 55-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th at TPC Craig Ranch to match American JJ Spaun atop the leaderboard after 18 holes at Mckinney, Texas.
“It broke left to right at the beginning and the rest of it was straight’’, Spieth said of his final shot. “I’m just trying to get to tap-in and cap off a good day, and I kind of started leaning because I thought it was going to miss left and it just kind of fell in the left side of the hole.”
It was a sizzling start for the 27-year-old Dallas native, who will try to complete a career Grand Slam next week by winning the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Spieth snapped a four-year win drought dating back to the 2017 British Open by capturing the Texas Open last month, winning the week before the Masters, where he shared third.
Spectators were backing Spieth and unleashed a massive roar when he dropped the final putt.
“I think late in the round they got some swing juice in them, and that certainly had something to do with it’’, Spieth said.
“The roar was pretty electric. I mean, it’s just fun. It’s just awesome feeling the support.
“We’re not necessarily doing it for the roars, but it’s a cool bonus at the end when it caps off a round like that.”
Spaun, seeking his first PGA title, began on the back nine and sank nine birdies, none of them from beyond just over six feet.
“Played really solid. Took advantage of the soft conditions’’, Spaun said. “You try to attack when you can. You kind of swing away. I just stayed in the moment, made some good putts, and eventually I’m signing for 9-under.”
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello shared third on 64 with Americans Aaron Wise, Doc Redman and Joseph Bramlett.
A pack on 65 included England’s Luke Donald, Spain’s Sergio Garcia, Irishman Seamus Power and South African Charl Schwartzel.
Spieth sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the opening hole, went on to birdie four of the first six holes and made another at the par-5 ninth from just outside six weeks.
He tapped in or birdie at the par5 12th, sank a six-footer to birdie 13 and made four pars before his closing eagle.
“I could certainly look back and say I missed a couple pretty easy putts, but I also made the one on 18’’, said Spieth, who was nervous at the first tee.
USPGA BYRON NELSON FIRST-ROUND SCORES (USA unless noted, par-72): 63 - JJ Spaun, Jordan Spieth 64 - Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP), Aaron Wise, Doc Redman, Joseph Bramlett 65 - Ben Martin, Seamus Power (IRL), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Luke Donald (ENG), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Sam Burns, Mark Hubbard, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN), Alex Noren (SWE), KH Lee (KOR), Charles Howell, Michael Gligic (CAN) 66 - Marc Leishman (AUS), Sebastian Munoz (COL), Brandt Snedeker, Padraig Harrington (IRL), Adam Schenk, Roger Sloan (CAN), Jonas Blixt (SWE), Bo Hoag, Scott Brown, Wyndham Clark, Kim Si-woo (KOR), Ted Potter, Rhein Gibson (AUS), Kris Ventura (NOR), Dylan Meyer