Jason Day and Brendon Todd shot 5-under 65s Thursday to share the first-round lead of the PGA Championship at San Francisco’s Harding Park. Nine players, including two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka, are just one shot back.
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INZAI CITY, Japan — Brendan Steele finished with four consecutive birdies and shot a 6-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the PGA TOUR’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. “Everybody says if you birdie 18, dinner tastes better,” Steele said. “But four in a row is definitely, really nice and feels good.” It was a happy return to the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, where Steele was the runner-up a year ago in the same tournament behind winner Hideki Matsuyama. “I love it here,” Steele said. “Loved the course last year — really happy to be back.” The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP is the only PGA TOUR event in Japan and has a purse of $11 million. There are no COVID-19 crowd-limit restrictions in place this year. “Nice for us to be able to get out of the hotel a little bit this year and enjoy the culture a little bit,” Steele said. “So I’ve enjoyed it a ton.” It was a big day for other Americans as well. Adam Schenk was a shot back after a 65 on a rainy day on the course on the outskirts of Tokyo. Sam Ryder, Matthew NeSmith, and Keegan Bradley were two back. Three more Americans were three behind: Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, and Maverick McNealy. Defending champion Matsuyama, who won by five strokes a year ago, got off to a slow start before a home crowd with a 71.
The first World Golf Championships event of the 2017-18 season goes down in Shanghai where an elite field will tee it up.
A handful of Olympians including Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, and silver medalist Rory Sabbatini highlight the field at the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season event prior to the FedExCup Playoffs. Jim Herman returns to defend his title from 2020, won in dramatic fashion. FIELD NOTES: Winners of THE PLAYERS Championship teeing it up at the Wyndham Championship include Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim (who tied for third last season), and Webb Simpson… Simpson won this tournament in 2011 and thrives in North Carolina… Like Simpson, Patrick Reed made the Wyndham his first TOUR title, winning a thrilling playoff over Jordan Spieth in 2013… Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was a late commit coming off playing the Olympics and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational… Sponsor exemptions include European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington and Will Zalatoris, who as a Special Temporary Member on TOUR is not eligible for the Playoffs unless he wins the Wyndham… Bill Haas, former Walker Cupper Alex Smalley, 2014 winner Camilo Villegas, and former Georgia star Davis Thompson are also in the field as sponsor exemptions. FEDEXCUP: Winner gets 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Sedgefield Country Club (Ross), par 70, 7,131 yards (yardage subject to change). Sedgefield, the only Donald Ross original that serves as a regular PGA TOUR venue, opened in the 1920s. The course boasts Ross’ signature small and undulating greens but has yielded five straight winning totals of 20-under or better. STORYLINES: It all comes down to this in terms of the FedExCup standings for 2020-2021. Rickie Fowler is right on the bubble (125th as of last week) and looking for a spot in the Playoffs. He has never failed to qualify for the Playoffs and finished a career-best fourth in the FedExCup in 2015… Patrick Rodgers and Camilo Villegas were 126th and 127th, respectively, just one FedExCup point back of Fowler… Olympian Rafael Campos sits at No.150 and at the Wyndham will look to improve his position or at least hang on to his spot in the 125-150 category for next season… Three golfers jumped inside the top 125 at last season’s Wyndham Championship, led by the surprise winner Jim Herman (192 to 54)… Rory Sabbatini, who won the silver medal in Tokyo after firing a sizzling 61 in the final round, will make his TOUR return at the Wyndham. 72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Henrik Stenson (2017), JT Poston (2019) 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Brandt Snedeker (1st round, 2018). LAST TIME: Jim Herman, who had made just four cuts since the start of the year, fired a 7-under 63 in the final round of the 2020 Wyndham Championship to top Billy Horschel by one. It was his third PGA TOUR title. Herman, who finished at 21 under, trailed by four entering Sunday’s finale but leapfrogged Horschel with a birdie on 17. He earned a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the standings. Two days earlier he’d had to birdie his final four holes just to make the cut, which led to his career-low 61 on Saturday. Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Doc Redman, and Si Woo Kim tied for third, three back. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes). Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (Featured Holes). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio).
