Jordan Spieth at AT&T Byron Nelson 2016: Thursday Leaderboard Score, Reaction
No one needed a strong showing during the first round of the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson more than Jordan Spieth.
The two-time major champion didn't participate in the weekend at The Players Championship, and his two-day foray below the cut line at TPC Sawgrass came on the heels of a Sunday meltdown at The Masters.
However, Spieth was able to put those struggles behind him and churn out his best round in more than a month when the action got underway Thursday at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas.
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The 22-year-old rebounded to the tune of a six-under showing and sits just one shot off the lead entering Friday. According to Golf Channel's Justin Ray, Spieth's score of 64 tied the lowest first-round score of his career.
Here's a look at the top of the leaderboard, which is headlined by Sergio Garcia, Johnson Wagner and Danny Lee, among others:
All told, Spieth tallied seven birdies and just one bogey as he hovered in red numbers all day thanks to a strong start on the front nine:
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Score | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Overall Score | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -3 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Score | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Overall Score | -3 | -4 | -5 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
Although Spieth appeared in danger of starting off his opening round with a par or bogey after he was forced to break out his wedge for shot No. 3 on the par four, he didn't appear rattled.
Instead, the world's second-ranked player calmly chipped in for birdie and built positive momentum right off the bat:
Spieth proceeded to card five consecutive pars during an uneventful yet steady stretch that spanned the guts of the front nine, but he made the turn in style thanks to birdies on Nos. 7 and 9.
The birdie on No. 9 was a particularly big confidence booster for Spieth since he got up-and-down after leaving himself 13 feet for birdie following a strong 130-yard approach shot:
A setback arose on No. 13 when Spieth three-putted for bogey, but he didn't let momentary struggles with the flat stick deter him. A birdie on No. 14 propelled Spieth back to five under for the tournament, and another birdie on No. 16 moved him to within one shot of Garcia and Lee.
But as the Dallas Morning News' Scott Bell noted, Spieth could have moved into a share of the lead on No. 16 with a slightly stronger putt:
As far as opening rounds go, Spieth acquitted himself nicely. The bogey on No. 13 was a brief downer, but seven birdies was a remarkable total for a player who looked out of sorts a week ago at the Players.
Entering Friday, the key for Spieth will be to build on his positive performance and produce another day in red numbers. If he can do that much, the opportunity should surface for the Dallas native to make some serious noise on moving day as he seeks to round into form before the U.S. Open.
Post-Round Reaction
PGATour.com's Mike McAllister relayed video of Spieth discussing his first-round performance:
"I hit it better last week than I did today, but I think it was an off day with my irons," Spieth said, according to GolfChannel.com's Rex Hoggard. "I got it in decent spots and was able to convert a couple of 8- and 10-footers."
"I was getting frustrated with these iron shots because it [should've been] like throwing darts out there, and I was 40 feet with an 8-iron," he added, per ESPN.com's Jason Sobel. "It's a driving range shot that I'm normally expecting within 15 feet. ... But the fact that I was still controlling the speed well and then taking advantage of the easier holes certainly settled me down."
Spieth also explained how he was able to battle through his brief woes.
"It's just kind of something that everyone goes through," he said, per Sobel. "You've got to learn to deal with it your own way. Everyone gets frustrated when you play golf. You can't be perfect in this game. Everyone who is out here is on some level of being a perfectionist. Kind of counters each other. That's where you get frustrated."
"Everything has been a bit more calm, and it’s been a little easier to stay in a rhythm," Spieth added, according to Hoggard.
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