Spieth shares first-round lead at FedEx St. Jude Championship

Jordan Spieth fired a bogey-free, five-under 65 to share the first-round lead at the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship on Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. The three-time major champion is tied atop the leaderboard with Michael Thorbjornsen, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Knapp, and Michael Kim, all of whom also shot 65. The opening round set the stage for a pivotal weekend in the PGA Tour Playoffs, with significant implications for the FedEx Cup standings.

Spieth, who is seeking his first victory in over four years, delivered a flawless round highlighted by birdies on the 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 15th holes. The performance was a welcome sign for the 33-year-old, who entered the tournament as the only player in the 70-man field to make the playoffs without posting a top-10 finish this season. He currently sits outside the top 50 in the standings and needs a strong finish this week to advance to next week's BMW Championship.

"I'm just in a very different place about the game of golf than I was the last couple seasons heading into this event," Spieth said after his round. "Just knowing that I'm a lot better golfer than I've been in a very long time and continue to believe in...