IRVING, Texas — Jordan Spieth finished off a 6-under 64 just before dark Thursday and was within a stroke of the lead when the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson was suspended. ADVERTISING IRVING, Texas — Jordan Spieth finished
IRVING, Texas — Jordan Spieth finished off a 6-under 64 just before dark Thursday and was within a stroke of the lead when the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson was suspended.
Sergio Garcia, Danny Lee and Johnson Wagner all shot 63. Lee and Wagner, like Spieth, were just able to complete the round that started 2 1/2 hours late after early morning rain.
Dallas native Spieth, who just missed a long eagle chance on the par-5 16th that would have matched the lead, is playing only his second tournament since squandering a five-stroke lead on the back nine at the Masters. The world’s No. 2-ranked player missed the cut last week at The Players Championship.
Dustin Johnson and Freddie Jacobson also had 64s. Tom Hoge, one of 30 players unable to finish, was 6 under through 14 holes.
REGIONS TRADITION
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Kenny Perry birdied the final hole for an 8-under 64 and a two-stroke lead in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.
Bernhard Langer bogeyed No. 18 for a 66 to fall into a second-place tie with Gene Sauers at Greystone Golf and Country Club, hosting its first Champions event since the Bruno’s Memorial Classic in 2005.
Perry won the Regions Tradition a few miles away at Shoal Creek in 2014, and the 14-time PGA Tour winner started on a roll. He birdied five of the first eight holes in a bogey-free round.
He was in a tie going into 18 with Langer, who had three straight birdies starting on No. 11.
Billy Andrade was three strokes back at 67, and defending champion Jeff Maggert shot 68.
With an eagle and a double bogey, John Daly finished his first round in a PGA Tour Champions major with a 70. He made an eagle from the fairway on the 435-yard fifth hole. Two holes later, came the double bogey after Daly’s drive went into the rough.
IRISH OPEN
STRAFFAN, Ireland — Masters champion Danny Willett shot a 7-under 65 in the Irish Open to take a two-stroke lead over home favorite Rory McIlroy.
Willett had eight birdies at the K Club and the Englishman dropped his only shot on the 17th when his par-saving putt stopped on the edge of the cup.
McIlroy appeared poised to take a share of the lead until he turned an eagle opportunity on the par-3 14th hole into a three-putt bogey.
England’s Callum Shinkwin and South Africa’s Jaco Van Zyl shot 68.
