Quick hits from Thursday's Travelers Championship
Top quote - Rory McIlroy
"I felt much better about my game out there than I did at Erin Hills," McIlroy told the Golf Channel on Thursday. "I feel a lot more comfortable in these surroundings, it's tree-lined, there's a little bit of definition."
Best round - Jordan Spieth
Spieth has never played a competitive round at TPC River Highlands, but you wouldn't know it by how he scored on Thursday. The world No. 6 made eight birdies and just one bogey for a 63.
| Stat | Round 1 |
|---|---|
| Fairways hit | 8/14 |
| Greens hit | 15/18 |
| Putts per GIR | 1.533 |
Shot of the day - Daniel Summerhays
Summerhays was inches from making an eagle at the par-4 17th on Thursday, using the backstop behind the hole to spin his ball back for a tap-in birdie.
(Video courtesy: pgatour.com)
Toughest hole - No. 5
| Stat | Round 1 |
|---|---|
| Avg. Score | 3.167 |
| Birdies | 7 |
| Pars | 118 |
| Bogeys | 29 |
| Doubles | 2 |
| Other | 0 |
Biggest disappointment - Jason Day
The Aussie was all over the golf course Thursday, posting a 2-over-par 72. Day made three birdies, three bogeys, and a double in Round 1 and sits in a tie for 111th place.
Stat - Spieth's debut at River Highland
.@JordanSpieth opens with 63 in his 1st @TravelersChamp start. Last player to shoot 63 in R1 of his 1st start here was Jim Renner in 2011.
— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) June 22, 2017
It was also the lowest opening round score of his career.
Friday's storylines
- Jason Day will need a good round to avoid missing another cut.
- Spieth looked confident on the greens Thursday, and when that happens, it usually means a win for the 23-year-old.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)