Matti Schmid made a strong start at The American Express on the PGA Tour but fell back late in the field.
Matti Schmid started The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour strongly with a round of 67, 5 under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented an even better score. After the first day, he stands tied 51st, only two strokes behind the top 20. Stephan Jäger shot a 71, 1 under par, and is tied 118th. Sepp Straka scored a 72 and lies tied 131st. Both will need to significantly improve on Friday to make the cut. Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody lead with 10 under par, followed by a chase group including Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at 9 under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Last Hole
At The American Express tournament on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid took advantage of excellent conditions. Starting strong with a tee shot near the green on the first hole, he made his first birdie early. Two more birdies came on the front nine at the par-5 holes 4 and 7, positioning him 3 under par. The back nine began even better with birdies on holes 10 and 11. After a par on 12, two additional birdies brought him to 7 under par. A mishit on the 15th caused a drop and his first bogey. He rebounded with an eighth birdie on 16, appearing set to finish in the top 20. However, a costly double bogey on the final hole dropped his score to 67, 5 under par, placing him T51 going into round two.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Behind
Stephan Jäger struggled early starting on the back nine, bogeying and double bogeying four holes to fall to 3 over par. He recovered somewhat with birdies on 16 and 18 and finished with a 1 under par 71, tied 118th. Sepp Straka, last year’s champion, had an even-par front nine without birdies. He birdied holes 10 and 13 but fell off pace with a bogey on 15 and a double bogey on 16, finishing even par 72 and tied 131st. Both Jäger and Straka face a tough challenge to advance to the weekend.