Matti Schmid had a strong start at The American Express on the PGA Tour, but a late setback dropped him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid started The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour with an impressive 67, five under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented him from posting an even better score. After day one, he stands tied for 51st, just two strokes behind the top 20. Stephan Jäger followed with a 71, one under par, in a tie for 118th, while Sepp Straka carded a 72, placing him tied for 131st. Both will need to improve significantly on Friday to make the cut. Leading the tournament are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at ten under par, closely chased by Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at nine under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Final Hole
At The American Express tournament played on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid faced excellent conditions and made the most of them. He opened with a precise drive near the green, converting it into the first birdie of his round. Two additional birdies followed on par-5 holes four and seven on the front nine, moving him to three under par. His back nine proved even better, with birdies on holes ten and eleven, a par on twelve, and two more birdies bringing him to seven under par. However, a botched second shot on the 15th forced a drop and resulted in his first bogey of the day. Quickly recovering, he made his eighth birdie on hole 16 and appeared set to finish in the top 20. Unfortunately, a significant mistake on the final hole led to another drop and a double bogey, concluding his round at 67 and five under par, tied for 51st going into the second day.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Drop Back
Stephan Jäger had a rough start on the back nine with a bogey and double bogey in his first four holes, putting him at three over par. He improved with birdies on holes 16 and 18, returning to one over par. Another birdie on hole three was followed by additional birdies on holes five, eight, and the final ninth hole, enabling him to finish one under par. He currently sits tied for 118th and will need a strong Friday round to make the cut.
Last year’s winner Sepp Straka’s round did not unfold as hoped. Although he remained error-free on the front nine, he failed to turn those chances into birdies, posting an uneventful even-par 36. He birdied holes 10 and 13 but bogeys on 15 and a double bogey on 16 set him back. A birdie on 18 saved him to an even-par round, but tied for 131st place, he faces significant challenges to compete over the weekend.