Jordan Spieth chipped in for eagle to take the first-round lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedExCup Playoffs, on Thursday in Memphis.
Spieth’s eagle at the par-five 16th hole at TPC Southwind vaulted him into the driver’s seat at seven under, and he made two pars to finish off a bogey-free 63.
Tom Kim of South Korea is in second at six-under 64, and Collin Morikawa and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo are tied for third at five-under 65. Lucas Glover, who qualified for the playoffs by winning last week’s Wyndham Championship, is part of a massive tie at four-under 66.
The top 70 players from the season-long FedExCup points race earned berths into the playoffs, and only the top 50 in the standings after this tournament will advance to next week’s BMW Championship. There is no 36-hole cut at the FedEx St. Jude Championship for the first time.
FedExCup points leader Jon Rahm had a double bogey and four bogeys en route to a forgettable, three-over 73, putting him tied for 65th.
Were he to finish the tournament that far down the leaderboard, he is still projected to hold onto the No. 1 spot. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, entering the week Nos. 2 and 3, each shot 3-under 67 on Thursday.
Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, has not won on tour since the RBC Heritage in April 2022.
