Matti Schmid started strong at The American Express PGA Tour event but a late setback pushes him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid made a strong start at the opening round of The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour, shooting a 67, 5 under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented an even better score. After day one, he is tied for 51st, just two strokes behind the top 20. Stephan Jäger shot a 71, one under par, and stands tied for 118th. Likewise, Sepp Straka carded a 72, tied for 131st. They will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. Leading are Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody at 10 under par, followed closely 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
Playing under excellent conditions at the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Matti Schmid made an immediate impact with a solid drive near the green and a birdie on his first hole. He added two more birdies on the front nine, both on par-5 holes 4 and 7, positioning himself at 3 under par. His back nine started even stronger with birdies on holes 10 and 11, and after a par on 12, he scored two additional birdies, reaching 7 under par. However, a mishit second shot on 15 forced a drop and led to his first bogey. He quickly bounced back with birdie eight on 16, but a costly mistake and another drop on the 18th hole resulted in a double bogey. He finished his round at 67, 5 under par, going into day two tied for 51st.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Back
Stephan Jäger had a rough start on the back nine, with a bogey and double bogey leaving him at 3 over par after four holes. He improved with birdies on 16 and 18 to finish the back nine at 1 over par. Despite a setback with a birdie on hole 3, he rallied with birdies on 5, 8, and the last hole to close his round at 1 under par and tied for 118th, needing a strong round Friday to make the cut. Defending champion Sepp Straka had a solid front nine without birdies or bogeys, finishing even par 36. He birdied holes 10 and 13 but was derailed by bogey