Kirk leads FedEx Cup at St. Jude after ace, Matsuyama second

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama misplaced his pockets, his caddie and his coach for the beginning of the FedEx Cup playoffs when thieves in London snatched their bag containing passports, however none of that appeared to hassle the Japanese star Thursday at first of the PGA Tour’s postseason.

Chris Kirk made a hole-in-one on his option to a 6-under 64 for a one-shot lead within the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Olympic gold medalist Scottie Scheffler and double main winner Xander Schauffele, the perfect two gamers in golf, have been proper within the combine as anticipated.

The shock in some respects was Matsuyama, the Olympic bronze medalist who has had loads of distractions since leaving Paris and nonetheless motored across the TPC Southwind on a sweltering day for a 65.

“I’ve forgotten it fully. It is not even a difficulty now,” Matsuyama mentioned by way of his interpreter.

He stopped over in London with caddie Shota Hayato and his swing coach, Mikihito Kuromiya. They have been having dinner on the town when Matsuyama mentioned his caddie noticed the bag was no longer there. The contents included Matsuyama’s pockets, and the passports of Hayato and Kuromiya. Matsuyama had left his passport — and his bronze medal — in his lodge room.

“It was an unlucky state of affairs,” Matsuyama mentioned. “Fortunately, I solely misplaced my pockets, however Shota, my caddie, and the coach, misplaced their passports, and we’re attempting laborious now to get their visas again in line. And, hopefully, we will be part of as a group as quickly as potential.”

Within the meantime, he lined up Taiga Tabuchi, who had been caddying on the Japan LPGA not too long ago and had labored with Ryo Hisatsune on the PGA Tour earlier this 12 months.

New caddie, usual Hideki. The 2021 Masters champion has been constructing momentum over the previous month. After hitting into the water and taking bogey on the par-5 third gap, he answered with loads of birdies — 4 in a five-hole stretch on the again 9, for a 65.

“My job is similar. It is simply play golf,” Matsuyama mentioned. “I discuss to my coach each evening on the cellphone. I’ve acquired an awesome caddie — Taiga did an awesome job in the present day. So we’ll simply see the way it goes.”

Hayato hopes to be again on the bag on the Tour Championship, with Matsuyama at No. 8 within the FedEx Cup and warranted of being there.

That is not the case for Kirk, who’s No. 28 within the standings. The highest 50 after this week advance to the BMW Championship outdoors Denver, after which the highest 30 from there go to Atlanta.

Kirk had taken the early lead with a birdie on the twelfth when he pulled 6-iron — an ideal membership contemplating a warmth index that topped 100 levels that made the ball go a little bit bit farther. It landed in entrance of the pin and rolled in like a putt for an ace.

“I used to be wanting a little bit additional left than that with water on the correct, however as quickly as I hit it, I hit it simply how I needed to,” Kirk mentioned. “Seemed up, noticed it began a contact proper however was drawing proper again to it. Yeah, good bonus.”

He left one alternative on the market by needing two chips to succeed in the inexperienced on the par-5 sixteenth, the simplest gap on the TPC Southwind, and a drive right into a bunker on the 18th stored him from reaching the inexperienced and led to his solely bogey of the spherical.

Taylor Pendrith of Canada and Matthieu Pavon of France, each first-time winners on the PGA Tour this 12 months, joined Matsuyama at 65.

The massive group at 66 included Scheffler and Schauffele, who’ve mixed for 3 of the 4 majors, eight PGA Tour titles and simply over $44 million in earnings this 12 months.

Schauffele began with three straight birdies, cooled barely and picked up a late birdie on the sixteenth for a bogey-free spherical. Scheffler had 4 birdies by way of six holes, his lone bogey approaching a poor greenside bunker shot on the twelfth.

Mates within the first place, they grew a little bit nearer by way of three days of follow rounds and a few cash video games at Le Golf Nationwide resulting in the Olympics. Schauffele shared the 54-hole lead on the Olympics. Scheffler closed with a 62 and received the gold.

“It is enjoyable competing with your folks, however we wish to beat up on one another,” Scheffler mentioned. “So it is a variety of enjoyable enjoying with the perfect gamers and competing.”

Justin Rose (No. 55) and Ben Griffin (No. 56) acquired off to perfect begins of their bid to get into the highest 50 and preserve their seasons going, each a part of the group at 66.

Jordan Spieth is No. 63 and opened with a 68, making two bogeys from the golf green on the again 9 that slowed his progress.

The Related Press contributed to this report.