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 opened The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour with an impressive round of 67, 5 under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented a better score and left him tied for 51st, just two strokes shy of the top 20. Stephan Jäger shot a 71, 1 under par, ranking tied 118th, while Sepp Straka posted a 72 and is tied 131st. Both players will need to improve significantly on Friday to make the cut. Leading the field are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at 10 under par, followed by a chasing group including Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at 9 under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round until the Final Hole
At The American Express tournament on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Schmid made the most of excellent conditions. He started strong with a well-placed drive on the first hole, sinking his first birdie of the day. Additional birdies on holes 4 and 7 brought him to 3 under par through the front nine. On the back nine, he continued the momentum with birdies on holes 10 and 11, plus two more after hole 12, reaching 7 under par. Yet a mistake on hole 15 caused a drop that led to his first bogey. Schmid quickly recovered with an eighth birdie on hole 16, seemingly securing a top 20 finish. Unfortunately, he faltered on the final hole, taking another drop and finishing with a double bogey, concluding his round at 67, 5 under par, tied 51st going into day two.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Back
Stephan Jäger began poorly on the back nine with a bogey and double bogey in his first four holes, putting him 3 over par. He rallied with birdies on holes 16, 18, 3, 5, 8, and the finishing 9, to close at 1 under par and tied 118th, needing a strong Friday to make the cut. Previous year’s champion Sepp Straka struggled as well, playing an even-par front nine without birdies, then birdies on 10 and 13. However, bogeys on 15 and a double bogey on 16 hindered his progress. A late birdie on 18 saved an even-par round, but at tied 131st, he has work ahead to reach the weekend.