Matti Schmid had a strong start at The American Express PGA Tour event but a late setback dropped him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid started The American Express on the PGA Tour with an impressive 67, five under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole kept him from an even better score and he finished tied for 51st, just two strokes shy of the top 20. Stephan Jäger carded a 71, one under par, placing him T118, while Sepp Straka shot 72, tied for 131st. Both will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. Leading after round one are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody, both at 10 under par, closely followed by Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at 9 under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Final Hole
Playing under excellent conditions at the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid quickly made his mark. He started with a strong drive and a birdie on the first hole, then added two more birdies on the par-5s at holes 4 and 7, reaching 3 under par through the front nine. His back nine began even better, with birdies on holes 10 and 11 and two additional birdies after a par on 12, bringing him to 7 under par. However, a mishit on the 15th hole forced him to take a drop and led to his first bogey of the day. He rebounded with an eighth birdie on 16, appearing set to finish in the top 20, but a costly double bogey on the 18th hole dropped him back to a 67 and tied for 51st place.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Behind
Stephan Jäger got off to a rough start on the back nine, with a bogey and double bogey putting him 3 over par after four holes. He fought back with birdies on 16 and 18, improving to 1 over par, then added birdies on holes 5, 8, and the final 9th hole to finish at 1 under par for the round. After day one, he stands at T118 and will need a strong second round to make the weekend. Last year’s champion Sepp Straka struggled to convert good conditions into birdies on the front nine, posting an even par 36. He did manage birdies on holes 10 and 13 but bogeys on 15 and a double bogey on 16 set him back. A birdie on 18 rescued an even-par round, but his position at T131 means he faces a tough task to