Matti Schmid started strong at The American Express on the PGA Tour but a late setback drops him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid kicked off The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour with an impressive 67, five under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented an even better score, leaving him tied for 51st after day one but only two strokes behind the top 20. Stephan Jäger shot a 71, one under par, and is tied for 118th, while Sepp Straka carded a 72 and is tied for 131st. Both will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. Leading the field are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at 10 under par, closely followed by a chasing pack including Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at 9 under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Last Hole
Playing under excellent conditions at the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid made an immediate impact. He opened with a solid drive on the first hole, sinking his first birdie of the day. He added two more birdies on the front nine at the par 5s on holes 4 and 7, positioning himself three under par. His back nine started even stronger with birdies on holes 10 and 11, followed by a par on 12, and two additional birdies bringing his score to seven under par. On hole 15, a misplayed second shot forced him to take a drop and led to his first bogey. He quickly recovered with his eighth birdie on hole 16, seemingly on track to finish inside the top 20. However, a costly double bogey on the final hole dropped him to a 67, finishing tied for 51st as he heads into the second day.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Back
Stephan Jäger started poorly on the back nine, going three over par after four holes with a bogey and a double bogey. He improved with birdies on 16 and 18, closing the back nine one over par. Additional birdies on holes 5, 8, and the final 9th hole helped him finish one under par with a total score of 71. He currently stands tied for 118th but will need a strong second round to make the cut. Last year’s champion, Sepp Straka, had an uneventful front nine at even par, managing birdies on holes 10 and 13. However, a bogey on 15 and double bogey on 16 hurt his round. He salvaged an even-par round with a birdie on 18 but is tied for 131st and faces a tough challenge to play into the weekend.