Eagle goes a long way for Spieth
He ties Spaun for Byron Nelson lead at 63 when his 55-foot putt goes in on No. 18.
McKINNEY, Texas — Jordan Spieth had his longest stretch all day of mere pars — a whopping four holes — on the besieged new home course of the AT&T Byron Nelson when the local favorite stepped over a 55foot eagle putt on the parfive 18th.
He found the bottom of the cup for a share of the first-round lead with J.J. Spaun at nine-under 63 on a nearly wind-less Thursday.
Spieth, Spaun and plenty of others had little trouble with TPC Craig Ranch north of Dallas. There were 132 players in the field of 156 under par, with 94 of those in the 60s on the third venue in the past four Nelsons.
“It’s a good golf course, but it’s playing about as easy as it can play,” said 2018 Nelson winner Aaron Wise, who was among four one shot off the lead. “We got a ton of rain the last two days and then perfect weather today and looks like tomorrow and Saturday as well, so it’s set up for scoring.”
Hideki Matsuyama sputtered on the front nine in his first appearance since becoming the first Japanese player to win the Masters, then stalled again after three straight birdies to start the back nine. He finished at 68.
Rafa Cabrera Bello was the first to post 64, soon joined by Wise, still looking for his second career PGA Tour victory three years after his first at the Nelson, and Doc Redman.
Joseph Bramlett joined them from the afternoon pairings.
Like Matsuyama, Spieth was playing for the first time since the Masters, but because of a positive COVID-19 test instead of a trip home to Japan, where Matsuyama celebrated with the green jacket in his golf-loving country.
Spieth missed an eagle putt on No. 12, but not the next one. From the lower tier of the wide green on 18, he rolled the putt up the hill and in with the pin still in the cup, prompting a huge roar from a gallery following three Dallas-area players.
“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,” said Spieth, who has never finished in the top 10 at the Byron Nelson. “The roar was pretty electric.”