Tommy Fleetwood Leads FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship
Tommy Fleetwood starred in an impressive finish with four consecutive birdies, achieving a 6-under-par 64 and securing the lead at the FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship after 36 holes. Fleetwood, with his sights set on his first PGA Tour title, demonstrated his determination on the course. The focus is on the top 50 of the FedEx Cup, who will advance to the first postseason event. Fleetwood, already qualified for the final at the Tour Championship, is seeking victory at all costs.Fleetwood is at 13-under-par 127, with a four-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa (65) and Akshay Bhatia (69). Justin Rose is also at 9-under-par after a birdie on the 16th hole. The Friday’s play was interrupted by storms, which forced spectators to leave the field and suspended the game until Saturday morning. Fleetwood finished on Thursday with four consecutive birdies. In addition, he achieved three in a row at the beginning, including a 30-foot putt from the edge of the green on the 4th hole. He also made important par saves before another impressive streak.“I haven’t managed to win on the PGA Tour yet, but I’d rather be at the top and not achieve it than not be there at all,” Fleetwood commented. “Who knows, maybe this weekend will be the time and we’ll see, and we’ll move on.”
Tommy Fleetwood
Kurt Kitayama delivered the best card of the round with 63 strokes, which positioned him among the top five in the standings. The FedEx Cup playoffs took a backseat until two weeks ago. Kitayama was in 110th place until he won the 3M Open in Minnesota. Now he is in 52nd place and his next goal is to advance to next week’s BMW Championship. It’s hard not to pay attention to the top 50 this week, since, in addition to advancing to the postseason, any player in the top 50 is assured of the eight major events with $20 million prizes next year.“Of course, when you play two good rounds, it’s easy to say everything has gone well,” Fleetwood said. “But I think for the most part I’ve been very good off the tee, I’ve put myself in a position to attack the course. My iron game has been good and solid, and I’ve rolled the ball well.”
Tommy Fleetwood
Scottie Scheffler, PGA and British Open champion, doesn’t need to look at the leaderboard. His lead in the FedEx Cup assures him a place at the top this week. However, Scheffler struggled with three bogeys in the last nine holes, which left him visibly frustrated. Even so, he managed a 66 and is six strokes away. Jordan Spieth had an 8-foot par putt on the last hole that seemed to fall by gravity, but it stayed on the edge. This sums up his day, with three bogeys, three birdies and a 70, leaving him 12 strokes behind the leader and facing pressure for the weekend, as he seeks to avoid a second year outside the top 50. Bud Cauley, one position behind Kitayama in the FedEx Cup, with the number 53, signed a card of 69 strokes and was tied for seventh place when play was suspended. Once the second round is completed, the third round will be played in groups of three from both sides. Fleetwood, currently ranked 15th in the world, has won seven titles on the European circuit, competing against strong rivals. He has proven his worth on important stages, especially in the Ryder Cup. However, the PGA Tour title remains his goal. He was close to achieving it at the end of June at the Travelers Championship, but a mistake at the end cost him the victory. Now, he has another opportunity at TPC Southwind, and he is in control of his tee-to-green game.“I feel like everyone is for the most part,” Kitayama said. “But you can’t control what others do. If you play well, it will take care of itself. That’s my mentality. But yes, I am looking at the leaderboard quite a bit.”
Kurt Kitayama
