FedExCup update: Jordan Spieth shines at TPC Southwind

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The battle for the FedExCup is officially underway at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Just 70 men teed it up today in Memphis, Tennessee, with a trip to next week’s BMW Championship and a spot in next season's Signature Events on the line.

It was a vintage Jordan Spieth sighting to kick off the FedExCup Playoffs, with the Texan tying his season-low round of 63 to take the first-round lead by one shot. Spieth was cruising, holding five birdies to zero bogeys as he hit his approach into 16. What followed was pure Spieth magic.

Spieth felt right at home in the muggy Southern air, finding his groove despite two weeks off. The recently turned 30-year-old said he spent that time playing plenty of golf.

“I tried to play a lot back at home just to shoot scores. I had kind of taken off playing a bunch, and I think that that helped a bit in the last couple weeks. Just tried to kind of get some competition. I felt like the more I'm playing at home and not having to work on a ton of stuff, the better it comes out to the course here,” said Spieth following his round.

The 2015 FedExCup champion hasn’t had the season he had hoped for. Spieth has as many missed cuts as he has top tens (six) and headed to Memphis missing the cut in two of his last three starts. While he was playing well by his own accord, the scores weren’t representative.

“I just found that I wasn't playing a ton in that break between U.S. Open and (Genesis) Scottish Open, and so I just got to the Scottish, and I felt like things were good, but I just wasn't scoring, so it was pretty frustrating.”

Near misses at the RBC Heritage and the Valspar Championship as well as a top five at the Masters buoyed Spieth in the FedExCup standings, where he finished the Regular Season ranked 31st, just outside the East Lake bubble.

Spieth found what he was looking for today at TPC Southwind and should have no problem making it to Atlanta if he can keep up his current form.

“I feel good,” Spieth added, “It didn’t quite feel as tight ball-striking-wise, but then all of a sudden, I ended up hitting a good one on 15 and then chipping in on 16, so I think it was solid. I've been driving the ball really nicely and everything kind of goes from there. If I feel confident stepping into a driver, getting in front of some shots and hitting some nice ones, that normally feeds to the rest of the bag.”

A win at the FedEx St. Jude would be Spieth’s first since the RBC Heritage in 2022 and would vault him to third in the standings, putting his sights squarely on a second FedExCup.

NOTABLES

Jon Rahm (No. 1, projected to No. 1), the FedExCup standings leader, had a rocky start to his Playoffs campaign. After starting 2-under through six holes, Rahm added four bogeys, a double bogey and just one more birdie in his finishing 12 holes to card a 3-over 73. He needs to put together three good rounds to maintain his position atop the standings. … After withdrawing from the Wyndham Championship due to an ankle injury, Tom Kim (No. 14, projected to No. 4) fired off a 6-under 64 to jump up 10 spots in the FedExCup projections to No. 4. … A winner early in the season at The RSM Classic set up Adam Svensson (No. 38, projected to No. 28) to make the Playoffs, but a 4-under effort on Thursday has moved him into the top 30 and in position to make the TOUR Championship. … Eric Cole (No. 40, projected to No. 29) is solidifying his case for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors with a 4-under 66, vaulting him up seven spots in the projected standings to No. 33. ... Making his sixth consecutive Playoffs appearance, J.T. Poston (No. 45, projected to No. 33) carded a 4-under 66 at TPC Southwind on Thursday, which may help him finish this season where he finished last season – in Atlanta. … Chris Kirk (No. 28, projected to No. 38) lost ground in the projected standings following a 1-over 71, dropping down to No. 38 from No. 28. … A 1-over effort from Seamus Power (No. 29, projected to No. 39) is not going to do the trick for a guy that’s currently sitting right near the top 30 in the standings. Power lost substantial position, dropping 10 spots down to No. 39.

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP BUBBLE WATCH

Here are the players projected to move inside the top 50 of the FedExCup after the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The top 50 will advance to the BMW Championship, set for Aug. 17-20 at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago:

PROJECTED IN

Cam Davis (No. 62, projected to No. 48): A heroic final round last week in Greensboro at the Wyndham Championship helped secure the Aussie a spot in the Playoffs and his effort on Thursday in Memphis may help him extend his stay. Starting the week at No. 62 in the standings, Davis was 12 spots from the top-50 threshold to get into the BMW Championship. Fortunately for him, his 4-under 66 on Thursday sees in a tie for fifth with enough projected points to move him inside the top 50 to 48th. “I would say putting has been a little bit better…all parts of my game are just in a pretty good place right now. I'm driving it pretty well, for the most part hitting it well into the greens and giving myself plenty of looks…” Davis said when asked about what’s clicking to make his Playoffs push.

PROJECTED OUT

Harris English (No. 42, projected to No. 51): English was 3-over par entering his final three holes of the day. He closed with three consecutive birdies to salvage an even-par round. An inspiring finish to the day in which he will hope to carry the momentum to Friday as he saw himself slide out of the top 50 to 51st on Thursday.

Patrick Rodgers (No. 43, projected to No. 52): A recent solo second at the Barracuda Championship in which he lost in a playoff to Akshay Bhatia (who earned his first TOUR win), Rodgers was in a good spot to make it to Chicago next week for the second Playoffs event. His plans took a hit Thursday as he slipped nine spots down to 52nd in the projected standings.

BUBBLE BOY

Aaron Rai (No. 65, projected to No. 50): One of the last on the course Thursday, and oh did he take advantage. Rai, who also falls under the "projected in" category today, was one of the few bogey-free rounds of the day and he complimented that with four birdies. Aside from finishing the day in T5, Rai also moved up 15 spots in the projected standings to sit exactly on the bubble on No. 50.

BIG MOVERS

Lucas Glover (No. 49, projected to No. 35): Earning his way into the Playoffs with a win last week in Greensboro was apparently not satisfying enough for Glover who is now trying to solidify himself inside the top 50 to play next week in Chicago. Entering the week at No. 49 the five-time TOUR winner used back-to-back nines of 33 to card a 4-under 66. Glover is one of 10 players in a log jam at T5 but he is in a position to not only compete for the FedEx St. Jude title but also extend his season by another week.

J.T. Poston (No. 45, projected to No. 33): Making his sixth consecutive Playoffs appearance, Poston’s 4-under 66 at TPC Southwind may help him finish this season where he finished last season, in Atlanta. Poston started the week at 45th but his effort on Thursday vaulted him all the way up to 33rd, comfortably within the top 50 number for the BMW Championship. Three top-30 finishes in three trips to TPC Southwind including a T20 here last season, Poston would like to eclipse that this week to add a few more weeks to his season.

PGATOUR.com content manager Justin Lemminn contributed to this report.