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 considered one of his simpler birdies. He had a 6-under 64.
McCarthy, with a popularity for a clean placing stroke, put that to good use on the graceful 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, who shot 29 on the entrance 9 earlier than cooling barely. He had a 63.
Scottie Scheffler acquired on observe 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 FedEx Cup advance to the BMW Championship subsequent week and are assured of enjoying in all of the $20 million signature occasions subsequent yr.
Jordan Spieth moved nearer to the tip of his yr. 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 potential for wrist surgical procedure within the offseason, and he might have the following three months clear barring two of his finest rounds of the yr.
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 (40 levels Celsius). He performed the 2 par 5s in 3 over and shot 73, leaving him in a tie for 58th.
It is a huge week for McCarthy, who has by no means received 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 exterior 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 entering into too many particulars.
“I do not wish to disclose an excessive amount of. It is bothering me, and I have been in a position to do sufficient the previous couple of days to push by way of it,” he mentioned. “The warmth helps it. Yeah, trying ahead to a problem on the weekend.”
Matsuyama would not 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 effectively and putted effectively.”
As for the recent climate?
“At the moment was good and funky,” the Japanese star mentioned, smiling because it was translated to English.
Matsuyama was in good spirits about his sport. 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 attempting to get new passports. He is 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 yr.
Schauffele began effectively till working into hassle 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 effectively to make double bogey from there, shot 69 and was six pictures behind.
Scheffler performed bogey-free however did not look to get a lot out of his spherical till the very finish when he stuffed a wedge on the fifteenth for birdie, acquired up-and-down for birdie on the sixteenth and holed a birdie putt from simply inside 25 toes on the seventeenth.
Most inquisitive about his day is seeing caddie Ted Scott stroll all the best way as much as the inexperienced on the second gap (from 71 yards) and the ninth gap (102 yards) to verify the yardage was correct. After which he jogged again to Scheffler’s shot — in extreme warmth.
“As he was working as much as the ninth inexperienced, I used to be pondering to myself, ‘Why is he doing that? I am within the tough.’ He needed to verify the quantity was appropriate on the inexperienced,” Scheffler mentioned. “He did that twice right this moment. And I assume he acquired drained as a result of he did not do it the remainder of the day.”