MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy mixed to make almost 300 toes of putts Friday, so it was no shock to see them sharing the lead going into the steamy weekend of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Matsuyama recovered from a shaky begin — he missed a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 2 and put his tee shot into the water on the par-3 fourth — with two lengthy birdie putts and a 3-wood to about 12 toes on the par-5 sixteenth for one among his simpler birdies. He had a 6-under 64.
McCarthy, with a repute for a easy placing stroke, put that to good use on the sleek greens of TPC Southwind. He holed three birdie putts from about 25 toes or longer to offset a pair of bogeys in his spherical of 63.
They had been at 11-under 129, one shot forward of one other nice putter, Sam Burns, shot 29 on the entrance 9 earlier than cooling barely. He had a 63.
Scottie Scheffler obtained on monitor late with three straight birdies for a 65 and was two again.
The primary PGA Tour postseason occasion is probably the most consequential. The factors are quadrupled, and the highest 50 gamers within the FedExCup advance to the BMW Championship subsequent week and are assured of enjoying in all of the $20 million signature occasions subsequent 12 months.
Jordan Spieth moved nearer to the tip of his 12 months. He had a pair of double bogeys on the par 3s, one from the water on No. 4, one other by taking two pictures to get out of bunker on No. 14, and posted a 75 that left him in a tie for sixty fifth.
Spieth has talked about the opportunity of wrist surgical procedure within the offseason, and he might have the following three months clear barring two of his greatest rounds of the 12 months.
Others who had higher seasons might afford a spotty efficiency. Rory McIlroy is the No. 3 seed going into the postseason and turned in a lackluster efficiency on one other day when the warmth index was within the vary of 110 levels. He performed the 2 par 5s in 3 over and shot 73, leaving him in a tie for 58th.
It is a large week for McCarthy, who has by no means gained on the PGA Tour and is at No. 45. A victory would transfer him into the highest 5 within the standings and safe a spot within the Tour Championship for the highest 30.
Ditto for Justin Rose, who’s outdoors the magic quantity at No. 55. He had one other 66 and was tied for fifth with Nick Dunlap (65)
Amazingly, McCarthy is doing this with what he described as a torn labrum with out stepping into too many particulars.
“I don’t wish to disclose an excessive amount of. It’s bothering me, and I’ve been capable of do sufficient the previous couple of days to push by way of it,” he mentioned. “The warmth helps it. Yeah, wanting ahead to a problem on the weekend.”
Matsuyama doesn’t disclose an excessive amount of on any matter, and he summed up his spherical thusly: “I missed a brief putt there at 2, knocked it within the water at 4, however from that time on, I actually performed nicely and putted nicely.”
As for the new climate?
“As we speak was good and funky,” the Japanese star mentioned, smiling because it was translated to English.
Matsuyama was in good spirits about his recreation. He’s dealing with having a bag stolen final week in London whereas at a restaurant that included his pockets and the passports of his caddie and coach. They’re in Japan making an attempt to get new passports. He’s tied for the lead in Memphis.
Gamers will go off either side in teams of three Saturday to deal with thunderstorms anticipated within the morning.
Scheffler and Xander Schauffele generated probably the most curiosity from a gallery that was subdued by the scorching warmth, a pairing that mixes three of the 4 majors and $44 million in earnings on the PGA Tour this 12 months.
Schauffele began nicely till operating into bother on the powerful twelfth — water off the tee, after which after a penalty drop, a shot that hit off the cart path and bounded over the inexperienced close to a bush. He did nicely to make double bogey from there, shot 69 and was six pictures behind.
Scheffler performed bogey-free however didn’t look to get a lot out of his spherical till the very finish when he stuffed a wedge on the fifteenth for birdie, obtained up-and-down for birdie on the sixteenth and holed a birdie putt from simply inside 25 toes on the seventeenth.
Most interested by his day is seeing caddie Ted Scott stroll all the way in which as much as the inexperienced on the second gap (from 71 yards) and the ninth gap (102 yards) to ensure the yardage was correct. After which he jogged again to Scheffler’s shot — in extreme warmth.
“As he was operating as much as the ninth inexperienced, I used to be considering to myself, ‘Why is he doing that? I’m within the tough.’ He needed to ensure the quantity was appropriate on the inexperienced,” Scheffler mentioned. “He did that twice as we speak. And I suppose he obtained drained as a result of he didn’t do it the remainder of the day.”
