Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm share the 18-hole lead after matching 8-under 63s, three strokes better than any other player after Round 1 of The Northern Trust.
View this post on Instagram
Thomas and Rahm entered the week in the top 10 in the FedExCup standings and top five in the Official World Golf Ranking.
View this post on Instagram
Thomas took his 10th career 18-hole lead/co-lead on PGA Tour; 4-for-9 to date converting to victory (2016 CIMB Classic, 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii, 2017 THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, 2019 BMW Championship).
This is his third 18-hole lead/co-lead of the season, tied with Sebastian Munoz for most on Tour. Also his eighth lead/co-lead after any round in a FedExCup Playoffs event, second-most in FedExCup Playoffs history (Dustin Johnson, 12).
View this post on Instagram
Thursday was Thomas’ fourth career first-round score of 63 or better on Tour and first since 2017 THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES (Won).
Thomas won THE PLAYERS Championship earlier in the season (only player to win THE PLAYERS and the FedExCup in the same season: Rory McIlroy, 2019).
View this post on Instagram
Rahm notched his seventh career 18-hole lead/co-lead on Tour; 1-for-6 to date converting to victory (2018 The American Express).
Also Read: Anirban tames tough conditions to start well at Playoffs
This is his fourth career first-round score of 63 or better on Tour and first since the 2019 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
Rahm’s last three starts on Tour: WD/the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (led by six strokes after 54 holes and was forced to withdraw), Won/U.S. Open, T3/The Open Championship.
He is a six-time Tour winner, including the 2021 U.S. Open, has one career win in the FedExCup Playoffs (2020 BMW Championship) and leads the Tour in top-10 finishes this season with 12.
JT and Rahm jump out to an early lead @TheNTGolf. 👀
(presented by @ROLEX) pic.twitter.com/5su8g39MAy
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 20, 2021
Harold Varner III stands solo-third after a 5-under 66; Varner, who entered the week No. 72 in the FedExCup standings, was one of four players to enter 2019 Northern Trust outside the top 70 in the FedExCup standings and went on to qualify for the BMW Championship (T3; moved from No. 102 to 29th)
Bryson DeChambeau (71) became the fourth player on record (since 1983) to make two or fewer pars and record a score of even-par or better.
PGA Tour
Also Read: Two shots of Moderna and inaction headline Rahil’s return at JGTO
