Matti Schmid had a strong start at The American Express on the PGA Tour but a late setback pushed him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid began the opening round of The American Express on the PGA Tour with an impressive 67, which is five under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole cost him a chance at an even better score. After day one, he is tied for 51st place, just two strokes outside the top 20. Stephan Jäger shot a 71, one under par, placing tied for 118th, while Sepp Straka finished with a 72 and is tied for 131st. Both will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. Leading the tournament are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at ten under par, followed by a chasing pack including Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at nine under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Final Hole
At The American Express on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid took advantage of ideal conditions, starting strong with a neat drive near the green and sinking his first birdie on the opening hole. He added two more birdies on the front nine at the par-5 4th and 7th holes, with a perfectly placed drive on 7 helping him reach three under par early. His back nine started even better, with birdies at holes 10 and 11, a par on 12, and two further birdies bringing him to seven under par. However, a misplayed second shot on the 15th forced a drop and his first bogey. He quickly recovered with his eighth birdie on the 16th and seemed on track to finish in the top 20. Unfortunately, a costly double bogey on the last hole ended his round at 67, five under par, placing him tied 51st heading into day two.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Back
Stephan Jäger had a rough start on the back nine with a bogey and double bogey in his first four holes, putting him three over par early. He fought back with birdies at 16 and 18 to go to one over, but after a setback on the 3rd hole, he rallied with birdies on 5, 8, and the final 9th