Bubba Watson plays a shot from a bunker at the 6th green during the first round of The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, on Thursday.
AFP/Edison, USA
Bubba Watson fired seven birdies in a five-under par 65 on Thursday, outshining playing partners Jordan Spieth and Jason Day to seize a share of the first-round lead at The Barclays.
Two-time Masters champion Watson was atop the leaderboard alongside Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and fellow Americans Spencer Levin and Tony Finau in the first of four events in the US PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
On a tightly bunched board, the leaders held a one-stroke lead over New Zealand’s Danny Lee, England’s Paul Casey, Scotland’s Russell Knox and Americans Jason Dufner, Cameron Tringale and Bryce Molder.
Another seven players were tied on 67, with newly crowned PGA Champion Day heading a group on 68 despite battling a bad back.
Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champion playing his first tournament since supplanting Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings, endured a tough day in a marquee group with Day and Watson. The 22-year-old Texan carded a four-over par 74, just the third time in his last 33 rounds that he failed to break par.
“It was a very off-day,” said Spieth, who posted his worst score of the year in relation to par.
“A little bit of rust with wedges combined with some poor decision making—and it just came out of nowhere,” said Spieth, who called the round his worst “in years”.
“Normally when I’m running that good, it doesn’t turn like that,” he said of the sudden struggles with his game.
“Typically when I hit the fairways I’m not over par,” added Spieth, who hit 11 of 14 fairways. “That’s what was weird about the round.”
After teeing off at 10, Spieth had two birdies to make the at turn two-under, but he had five bogeys and a double bogey against one birdie coming in.
“He just looked a little flat,” said Australia’s Day, who held off Spieth in the final round at Whistling Straits this month to win the PGA Championship, nabbing his first major title and rising to a career-high third in the world. “It’s understandable with all the stuff that he’s been doing.”
Day, who skipped Wednesday’s pro-am after aggravating a long-standing back injury on Tuesday, kept himself in the hunt despite some discomfort.
“There were a couple of swings out there that hurt,” said Day, who nevertheless had three birdies and one bogey in his two-under effort.
Watson, meanwhile, had no complaints. His seven birdies included five in his first nine holes—the back nine of Plainfield Country Club.
“All in all it’s a good round,” said Watson, who regretted his two bogeys—after a poor shot at the par-three sixth and a three-putt at the ninth.
“If I just make a better swing on the par-three and then a two-putt, it’s not too bad,” Watson said. “I missed the cut the last time I played here, so we are ahead of the curve right now.”
Lang surges clear
Prattville, USA: Three days after earning a captain’s pick for the Solheim Cup, Brittany Lang proved the value of her selection by seizing a two-shot lead in Thursday’s opening round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in Prattville, Alabama.
The 30-year-old, chosen as a wildcard along with Paula Creamer by U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster, fired a superb seven-under-par 65 in ideal scoring conditions on the Senator Course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Lang, who tied for second at the 2009 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, birdied five of her first seven holes before ending the day two ahead of fellow Americans Ryann O’Toole, Tiffany Joh and Sydnee Michaels.
American world number three Stacy Lewis, tournament champion in 2012 and a runner-up last year, launched her bid for a first LPGA victory in 14 months with an opening 70.
“It was just one of those days, it was so enjoyable,” Lang told reporters after soaring to the top of the leaderboard with nine birdies and two bogeys.
“I wasn’t thinking about a whole lot. I was just super committed to seeing my shots, it was so much fun.”
“I played pretty flawless golf. Even when I was making pars, I was burning the edge from 10 feet. Every hole I was right there.”
Lang was delighted that she rebounded from her only bogeys of the day, at the 13th and 14th, with consecutive birdies from the 16th.
“The birdies on 16 and 17 were pretty big after the bogeys ... not stupid bogeys, small misses, but I stayed aggressive so I was excited with that,” she said.
“I had one of my better years I’ve ever had and the Solheim pick’s over with. I’m just in a really comfortable place, so I just felt really relaxed out there.”
