Matti Schmid had a strong start at The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour but a late setback pushed him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid started strong in the opening round of The American Express on the PGA Tour, shooting a 67, 5 under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole cost him a better score, leaving him tied 51st after day one, just two strokes from the top 20. Stephan Jäger carded a 71, 1 under par, sitting at T118, while Sepp Straka shot a 72, placing him at T131. Both will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. The leaders after the first round are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at 10 under par, 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 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course under excellent conditions, Matti Schmid took advantage from the start, scoring a birdie on the first hole with a precise drive near the green. He added two more birdies on the front nine at the par 5s, 4 and 7, reaching 3 under par. His back nine began even better with birdies on holes 10 and 11, followed by par on 12 and two more birdies for a 7 under par score. However, a misplayed second shot on 15 forced a drop and his first bogey. A quick birdie on 16 put him back on track and he seemed set to finish in the top 20, but a costly double bogey on 18 after another drop brought his round to 67, 5 under par, entering day two tied 51st.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Falter
Stephan Jäger started poorly on the back nine with a bogey and double bogey within four holes, sitting 3 over par. He recovered with birdies on 16 and 18 to reach 1 over par, though a birdie on 3 briefly pushed him back before birdies on 5, 8, and the final hole helped him finish 1 under par at T118, requiring a strong second round to make the cut.
Last year’s winner Sepp Straka had a mixed first day, playing an even par front nine without birdies, then scoring birdies on 10 and 13. However, bogey on 15 and a double bogey on 16 derailed his momentum. He salvaged an even par round with a birdie on 18, but at T131 will need significant improvement to compete into the weekend.