Course record Merritts lead
Up 1 on DJ in playoff opener
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 yesterday in The Northern Trust.
Merritt began with a 10foot par save, followed with a pair of 20-foot birdie putts and took advantage of calm, rain-softened Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J., by tying the course record with a 9-under 62 for a 1-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 were watching 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, 3-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.
Merritt is No. 72 in the FedEx Cup, with the top 70 advancing next week to the BMW Championship at Medinah. Points are quadrupled in the postseason.
“I know good golf will take care of itself,” he said. “You just try to play the best you can. Obviously, I’ll be watching throughout the weekend, but just getting off to a good start, put that to the back of the mind and try to win a golf tournament.”
Brooks Koepka, who has won four majors in the last three years, hasn’t found his groove in the FedEx Cup. Koepka is the No. 1 seed. In 15 playoff events, he has managed only two top 10s and didn’t get off to a great start at Liberty National with only three birdies in his round of 70. He’s assured of being in East Lake.
3 tied at Scottish
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 in North Berwick, Scotland.
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 1 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.
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.