Jordan Spieth Shares St. Jude Lead After Bogey-Free 65

Jordan Spieth opened the FedEx St. Jude Championship with the score he needed Thursday, firing a bogey-free 5-under-par 65 to share the first-round lead in Memphis. Spieth joined Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp, Michael Kim and Kurt Kitayama at the top of a crowded leaderboard as the PGA Tour postseason began at TPC Southwind.

The strong start carries particular importance for Spieth, who entered the week at No. 54 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 50 advance to next week’s BMW Championship, making every round at the playoff opener significant for players on the cutoff line. Spieth is attempting to avoid a repeat of last year, when he began the postseason at No. 48 before dropping outside the top 50.

Spieth, winless for more than four years, said he has been encouraged by the way he has been playing even before his opening-round result. He is the only player among the top 70 qualifiers who had not recorded a top-10 finish this year, but the 65 gave him an early opportunity to change the shape of his postseason.

Spieth turns a patient start into a share of the lead

Spieth began his round with eight consecutive pars before finally seeing a putt fall. He then made four birdies in a five-hole stretch, including a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th. Crucially, he avoided a bogey throughout the round in the sweltering conditions at TPC Southwind.

“I’m just in a very different place about the game of golf than I was the last couple seasons heading into this event,” Spieth said. “Again, if it’s going to work out, great. If it doesn’t, I know next year is going to be an awesome year for me. So it takes a lot of the stress off of this week.”

His approach was to keep the focus on the tournament rather than the FedEx Cup cutoff. “I just tried to come into this week and just be as patient, nonreactive as possible, dumb it down to try to win the golf tournament and not worry about anything else,” Spieth said.

Michael Kim also has ground to make up after starting the week at No. 61 in the standings. Kim’s 65 placed him alongside Spieth and the other early leaders, though he was considered likely to need at least an 11th-place finish to have a chance to move on to the BMW Championship.

Seven players were one shot back at 66, including defending FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama, Gary Woodland and Adam Scott. Four more players stood another stroke behind, underlining how little separation there was after one round.

FedEx Cup stakes remain high heading into round two

Reaching the top 50 brings major value beyond the immediate postseason. It secures entry into all of next season’s $20 million signature events, while a high finish this week can also strengthen a player’s route to the Tour Championship and access to the majors.

Woodland and Scott began the week just inside the top 30, where a productive week could lock up a Tour Championship place. Scott said the opportunity extends beyond the remainder of the current season, pointing to the significance of qualifying for signature events and major championships next year.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with a 68 at a course he has played seven times without winning, more than any other PGA Tour course. Rory McIlroy, playing alongside Scheffler, closed with bogey-bogey-double bogey and posted a 74.

Jackson Koivun, who took the final playoff place at No. 70, shot 71 while playing as a single. The field had 69 players after Daniel Berger chose not to play, with no alternates available.

For Spieth, the opening 65 offers an immediate boost in a week defined by the race for advancement. Three rounds remain, but he has placed himself at the front of the tournament and given his FedEx Cup hopes the start they required.