2023 Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard: Sergio Garcia matches Jordan Spieth with 63 in opening round

Phil Mickelson turned again the clock final week on the PGA Championship, and it stayed there Thursday on the Charles Schwab Problem as 41-year-old Sergio Garcia tied Jordan Spieth with a 63 in Spherical 1 at Colonial Nation Membership. Each Garcia and Spieth are former champions of this occasion, and each have video games completely suited to a spot like Colonial.

Spieth was flawless early within the day, and it seemed like his lead was going to face all day till Garcia tied him late with the ball-striking spherical of the day. Towards the tip of his first spherical, it seemed like Garcia would possibly surpass Spieth as he bought to 7 underneath with a birdie on the fifteenth. Nevertheless, he closed with three straight pars to “settle” for 63 and a share of the lead after 18 holes.

“Nice spherical,” Garcia mentioned. “I’m not going to lie, situations weren’t straightforward. Due to the rain the course wasn’t too agency, regardless that it firmed up properly between yesterday and right this moment. However yeah, it was fairly breezy. It was gusty so it wasn’t straightforward to tug a number of the golf equipment. There have been some powerful holes on the market, however I used to be capable of hit actually good pictures on these holes, and a pair up-and-downs once I wanted them. Very pleased with the best way it went.”

It’s simpler to belief Spieth on this co-leading spot given how nicely he’s been taking part in to this point this 12 months, much less so Garcia. The 11-time PGA Tour winner has missed 4 consecutive cuts (after displaying out on the WGC-Dell Match Play in March), together with each the Masters and PGA Championship.

Garcia’s finishes could be a bit deceptive, although, as his ball-striking has been terrific. A shaky putter has been the worst of any of the 35 finest ball-strikers on this planet over the past six months. On Thursday, although, Garcia gained almost three strokes together with his putter, which is each unsustainable but in addition the kind of placing we day we see from golfers like Garcia once they go on to win tournaments.

Whether or not he does that continues to be to be seen, however Mickelson profitable final week 30 years after profitable his first could be foreshadowing for Garcia, who’s celebrating the 20-year anniversary of his win at Colonial (again when Spieth was 7 years outdated).

“I didn’t assume that it was my 20-year anniversary,” Garcia mentioned. “I didn’t even take into consideration that, now that you just point out it. But it surely’s good. It’s good to undergo these milestones, I assume, and it simply exhibits me how lengthy I’ve been out right here and the way lucky I’ve been to be constant all through my profession, contact wooden, however clearly fairly wholesome.”

Right here’s a take a look at the highest of the leaderboard and who’s contending at Colonial.

T1. Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia (-7): We’ve coated each of those guys now, however how a lot enjoyable would a Spieth-Garcia ball-striking present be over the weekend at a spot like Colonial? Nothing can prime what transpired final week on the PGA Championship, after all, however that might be among the many few situations that would a minimum of step out of the lengthy shadow Mickelson forged over the subsequent few weeks.

T3. Erik Compton, Jason Kokrak (-5): There’s a cool story creating right here with two-time coronary heart transplant recipient Compton, who obtained a sponsor invite, being two again of the foremost winners. Compton has simply three begins on the massive boy tour since 2016, and he didn’t make the lower in any of them. For him to make it to Saturday, a lot much less contend at this occasion, can be a superb feat.

“It’s arduous to sum it up, nevertheless it’s quite a lot of work, and I’m a fighter, I’m a grinder,” Compton mentioned. “I put one foot in entrance of the opposite. I’m simply blessed to be alive actually. Spent most of my life with any individual else’s hearts. It’s a problem, however I do one of the best that I can.”

T5. Adam Hadwin, Brandt Snedeker, Kramer Hickok, (-4): Snedeker has quietly (very quietly!) been taking part in some stable golf of late. Regardless of falling within the Official World Golf Rankings to almost No. 150, he’s rebounded with three top-20 finishes in his final 4 begins. This T5 isn’t just a case of a sizzling putter, both. Snedeker hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. He can completely contend right here if that continues into the weekend.

T8. Patton Kizzire, Cameron Tringale, Talor Gooch, Robert Streb, Sebastian Munoz (-3): Big props to Tringale who shot 67 in his first spherical again after that ghastly 48 on his entrance 9 final week on the PGA. He bounced again on that second 9 to shoot 34 and adopted that up with a 33-34 on Thursday at Colonial. He’s been taking part in terrific golf – in all probability one of the best of his profession – over the previous few months, and he’s a very good wager to proceed that good play on into the weekend (so long as you’ll be able to ignore that 48).

T13. Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Daniel Berger (-2): Some horses on this group simply 5 again of the Spieth-Garcia duo. Berger is the defending champion, and Rose completed within the prime 10 on the PGA final week. Berger might be one of the best wager out of this group to finally contend, however Reed has me if he’s going to hit it like he did on Thursday (prime 20 on method pictures).

T87 Phil Mickelson (+3): He’s unlikely to make the lower, however no one will care about that. He additionally gave the quote of the day in Spherical 1.

Q: Clearly you had mentioned you wished to come back right here and construct off the momentum. I do know this isn’t fairly the day you wished. Speak about right this moment and the way troublesome it was.

Mickelson: “Yeah, I didn’t play nicely. I shot 3-over. However I received the PGA, so…”

Rick Gehman and Jonathan Coachman recap Thursday’s first spherical motion at Colonial. Observe and take heed to The First Minimize on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.