McGirt leads at Firestone
AKRON, Ohio — Golf in Ohio must bring out the best in William McGirt.
One month after his first PGA Tour victory at the Memorial, McGirt looked just as good two hours up the road at the Bridgestone Invitational. In his World Golf Championship debut, he opened with six birdies and finished with a 45-foot par for a 6-under-par 64 and a three-shot lead. An Ohio sweep? That’s only happened four times, and McGirt guessed right at the answer.
“Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods and Tiger Woods?” he said. “That would be pretty special company.”
He had some decent company behind him after an opening round of warm sunshine and fast conditions at Firestone. Jason Day, the world’s No. 1 player, was among three players at 67, while Jordan Spieth somehow managed to post a 68 despite having only one birdie attempt (he missed) in his first 10 holes.
“I wasn’t supposed to shoot 2 under today,” Spieth said.
Former Baylor School standout Harris English was at 69.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson had a U.S. Open kind of round — 15 pars, two birdies and a bogey — for a 69. His big celebration was walking off the 11th green to learn that his alma mater, Coastal Carolina, had just won the College World Series for its first national title. His golf wasn’t bad considering that he didn’t practice much last week while celebrating his first major (and his 32nd birthday) in The Bahamas.
“I didn’t expect a whole lot today,” Johnson said. “I always expect to play well, but this golf course is playing tough.”
Only 17 players of the 61-man field broke par. The first round ended with only 58 players.