MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama misplaced his pockets in London and misplaced his caddie and coach for the beginning of the FedExCup playoffs from thieves who snatched their bag. None of that appeared to trouble the Japanese star Thursday to begin of the PGA Tour’s postseason.
Chris Kirk made a hole-in-one on his approach to a 6-under 64 for a one-shot lead within the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Olympic gold medalist Scottie Scheffler and double main winner Xander Schauffele , one of the best two gamers in golf, have been proper within the combine as anticipated.
The shock in some respects was Matsuyama, the Olympic bronze medalist who has had loads of distractions since leaving Paris and nonetheless motored across the TPC Southwind on a sweltering day for a 65.
Information, updates, scoring and highlights from the opening spherical of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
“I’ve forgotten it fully. It’s not even a problem now,” Matsuyama mentioned by his interpreter.
He stopped over in London with caddie Shota Hayato and his swing coach, Mikihito Kuromiya. They have been having dinner on the town when Matsuyama mentioned his caddie seen the bag was not there. The contents included Matsuyama’s pockets, the passports of Hayato and Kuromiya. Matsuyama had left his passport — and his bronze medal — in his lodge room.
“It was an unlucky state of affairs,” Matsuyama mentioned. “Fortunately, I solely misplaced my pockets, however Shota, my caddie, and the coach, misplaced their passports, and we’re attempting laborious now to get their visas again in line. And, hopefully, we are able to be part of as a staff as quickly as attainable.”
Within the meantime, he lined up Taiga Tabuchi, who had been caddying on the Japan LPGA not too long ago and had labored with Ryo Hisatsune on the PGA Tour earlier this 12 months.
New caddie, usual Hideki. The previous Masters champion has been constructing momentum over the past month. After hitting into the water and taking bogey on the par-5 third gap, he answered with loads of birdies — 4 in a five-hole stretch on the again 9, for a 65.
“My job is similar. It’s simply play golf,” Matsuyama mentioned. “I speak to my coach each evening on the cellphone. I’ve received an excellent caddie — Taiga did an excellent job as we speak. So we’ll simply see the way it goes.”
Hayato hopes to be again on the bag on the Tour Championship. Matsuyama is No. 8 within the FedEx Cup and guaranteed of being there.
That isn’t the case for Kirk, who’s No. 28 within the standings. The highest 50 after this week advance to the BMW Championship exterior Denver, after which the highest 30 from there go to Atlanta.
Kirk had taken the early lead with a birdie on the twelfth when he pulled 6-iron — an ideal membership contemplating a warmth index that topped 100 levels that made the ball go just a little bit farther. It landed in entrance of the pin and rolled in like a putt for an ace.
“I used to be wanting just a little additional left than that with water on the proper, however as quickly as I hit it, I hit it simply how I wished to,” Kirk mentioned. “Seemed up, noticed it began a contact proper however was drawing proper again to it. Yeah, good bonus.”
He left one alternative on the market by needing two chips to achieve the inexperienced on the par-5 sixteenth, the best gap on the TPC Southwind, and a drive right into a bunker on the 18th saved him from reaching the inexperienced and led to his solely bogey of the spherical.
Taylor Pendrith of Canada and Matthieu Pavon of France, each first-time winners on the PGA Tour this 12 months, joined Matsuyama at 65.
The massive group at 66 included Scheffler and Schauffele, who’ve mixed for 3 of the 4 majors, eight PGA Tour titles and simply over $44 million in earnings this 12 months.
Schauffele began with three straight birdies, cooled barely and picked up a late birdie on the sixteenth for a bogey-free spherical. Scheffler had 4 birdies by six holes, his lone bogey approaching a poor greenside bunker shot on the twelfth.
Buddies within the first place, they grew just a little nearer by three days of apply rounds and a few cash video games at Le Golf Nationwide resulting in the Olympics. Schauffele shared the 54-hole lead on the Olympics. Scheffler closed with a 62 and gained the gold.
“It’s enjoyable competing with your pals, however we wish to beat up on one another,” Scheffler mentioned. “So it’s a whole lot of enjoyable enjoying with one of the best gamers and competing.”
Justin Rose (No. 55) and Ben Griffin (No. 56) received off to ideally suited begins of their bid to get into the highest 50 and hold their seasons going, each a part of the group at 66.
Jordan Spieth is No. 63 and opened with a 68, making two bogeys from the green on the again 9 that slowed his progress.
