SILVIS, Ill. — Jordan Spieth felt great Thursday on the first tee of the John Deere Classic. He heard not only his name, but, for the first time, the phrase “defending champion.”
SILVIS, Ill. — Jordan Spieth felt great Thursday on the first tee of the John Deere Classic. He heard not only his name, but, for the first time, the phrase “defending champion.”
A par followed. Then another, and another after that. And then a bogey.
The playoff winner from 2013 was suddenly reeling.
“It was a struggle,” Spieth said of the round, an even-par 71 he salvaged with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. “I need to go find something on the range because I just wasn’t comfortable over the ball today.”
Spieth was eight strokes behind Zach Johnson, Rory Sabbatini and Brian Harman, whose 8-under-par 63s shared the lead after the opening round.
Then again, Spieth was six strokes behind the leaders entering last year’s final round, and rallied to win, beating Johnson and David Hearn in a sudden-death playoff.
Johnson and Sabbatini played bogey-free golf, while Harman had nine birdies and one bogey on the par-71 TPC Deere Run — even though his regular caddie had to drop out.
U.S. SENIOR OPEN: Colin Montgomerie declared Bernhard Langer the favorite heading into the U.S. Senior Open in Edmond, Okla.
After 18 holes, Montgomerie may well have seized that position himself with a 6-under 65 to lead at the end of Thursday at Oak Tree National.
The Scotsman started on No. 10 and birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 on the way to a 33 on the back nine. He birdied six, seven and eight to finish strong in oppressive heat and humidity.
Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Langer was one of five golfers tied for fourth with a 69.
Dawson started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine.
The 50-year-old said it was one of the two best rounds he’s played in his six Champions Tour events. He was pleased with the performance, especially considering the course’s challenging reputation
“It just seemed to happen, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under,” he said. “I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round.”
Brooks birdied the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to go 4 under on his first five holes. He shot 3 under on the back nine and even on the front nine.
“I’ve been playing here since high school,” he said. “I’m comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me.”
Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers.
After 18 holes, Montgomerie may well have seized that position himself with a 6-under 65 to lead at the end of Thursday at Oak Tree National.
The Scotsman started on No. 10 and birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 on the way to a 33 on the back nine. He birdied six, seven and eight to finish strong in oppressive heat and humidity.
“That was the key to the round, the three birdies in a row on the front nine, my back nine,” Montgomerie said. “To birdie six, seven, eight was good. That got me to the position I am now.”
Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Langer was one of five golfers tied for fourth with a 69.
Dawson, in his first Senior Open, started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine. The 50-year-old said it was one of the two best rounds he’s played in his six Champions Tour events. He was pleased with the performance, especially considering the course’s challenging reputation.
“It just seemed to happen, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under,” he said. “I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round.”
Brooks birdied the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to go 4 under on his first five holes. He shot 3 under on the back nine and even on the front nine.
“I’ve been playing here since high school,” he said. “I’m comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me.”
Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers.