Spieth takes early lead in Travelers
Wagner, Stegmaier tied for second; gallery cheers Furyk
When Jordan Spieth talked before the start of the Travelers Championship, he discussed needing to keep pace at a tournament known for its low scores.
The sixth-ranked golfer in the world came out firing Thursday, with birdies on three of his first four holes on the way to leading with a 7-under-par 63 in the opening round at TPC River Highlands.
“It was a really solid start, got things off kicking early,” said Spieth, who made a 4-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to grab the lead in his tournament debut. “The first couple holes and being 3 under through four, it helps you walk a little easier. It helps kind of the shots you’re playing throughout the round.”
Brett Stegmaier, who grew up 40 minutes from the course in Madison but has never made the cut in three trips, and Johnson Wagner each shot 64. Graham DeLaet and Troy Merritt had rounds of 65 to tie for fourth.
“I really like the course, but I really don’t have a whole lot of success on it, which is kind of weird,” said Stegmaier, who has missed the cut in six of his last seven PGA Tour events and 12 of 15. “I probably just put too much pressure on myself coming here, but this year it’s been pretty lowkey and not expecting much.”
It was not a quiet round for Jim Furyk or his playing partners Rory McIlroy and U.S. Open runner-up Brian Harman. Furyk’s historic 58 to close last year’s tournament was still the buzz of the gallery when the group teed off in the morning. It followed the threesome throughout the round.
“Oh yeah, you hear a lot of it,” Furyk said. “59, 58, 57. Rory joked off the 10th we might hear 40s before we’re done.
“It was a fun round, and it’s great to come back,” Furyk added. “Great to have the support. ... but I’m trying to put that score behind me and be patient, trying not to press.”
Harman finished tied for sixth at 4 under, while Furyk and McIlroy each shot 67.
“I feel much better about my game out there than I did at Erin Hills,” said McIlroy, who missed his second consecutive cut at the U.S. Open. “I feel a lot more comfortable in these surroundings.
“I could have made a lot more birdies than I did, but 67 is a decent start.”
Spieth was strong from the onset, with birdies on the first, second and fourth holes. He birdied Nos. 7 and 8 but bogeyed the par-4 ninth to fall to 4 under. He moved into a share for the lead with consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 and 14.
“The crowds were unbelievable,” said Spieth, who is looking for his second win of the season after the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm. “On the first tee, it was as good an ovation as I’ve ever had really walking to the first tee, which is really cool to come to a place for the first time and have that.”
Stegmaier had a clean card until he finished the round with a bogey on the ninth hole. The 33year-old golfer birdied four holes in a row, starting on the 13th, and made the turn at 5 under. He birdied the first and third holes on the front.
Wagner opened with a chip-in from about 69 feet for birdie on the par-4 first hole. He made the turn at 4 under with birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 9 but bogeyed the par-3 fifth. On the back nine, he birdied two par-4s, 10 and 18.
“It was a nice way to start, and it kind of calmed me down,” Wagner said of the first hole birdie. “It kind of let me know today was going to be my day, and the ball went in the hole.”