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Charles Schwab Challenge 2021: Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia Share Lead After Round 1
May 27, 2021
Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia lead a quality field at the Charles Schwab Challenge after each shot 63 in the first round.
Both golfers finished with a bogey-free round Thursday at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, to finish seven strokes under par. Spieth and Garcia sit two strokes clear of Erik Compton and Jason Kokrak, who are tied for third place after 18 holes.
Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed are among those also in attendance in the competitive invitational that has a $7.5 million purse.
Round 1 Leaderboard
T1. Jordan Spieth (-7)
T1. Sergio Garcia (-7)
T3. Erik Compton (-5)
T3. Jason Kokrak (-5)
T5. Adam Hadwin (-4)
T5. Brandt Snedeker (-4)
T5. Kramer Hickok (-4)
T8. Patton Kizzire (-3)
T8. Cameron Tringale (-3)
T8. Talor Gooch (-3)
T8. Robert Streb (-3)
T8. Sebastian Munoz (-3)
T8. Byeong Hun An (-3)
Full leaderboard and stats available at PGATour.com.
It was Spieth who set the early standard Thursday when he shot 63 in the morning session that featured seven birdies.
He looked especially good with his approach shots throughout the round.
Spieth excelled on the green as well while finishing with 4.216 strokes gained putting. The 27-year-old has six top-10 finishes in his last nine starts and has always played well at this event.
It could make the University of Texas product a top contender for the rest of this event.
Sergio Garcia showed it was not going to be a runaway, however. The veteran finished with his own 63 and was especially impressive around the turn with a run that included three straight birdies leading to an eagle on No. 11.
He later earned a share of the lead with a birdie on No. 15.
It could create an exciting battle at the top of the leaderboard with three rounds to play.
Other big names didn't fare as well, including Mickelson, who shot 73 in his first round after winning the PGA Championship on Sunday. He didn't seem to mind when discussing it after the round.
Thomas, the world's No. 2-ranked player, also struggled on his way to a plus-2 score of 72, sitting tied for 69th after the first round.
These players will have to return with low scores in the second round in order to finish above the cut line.