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SPORTS Friday 26 May 2017
Trio of 65s lead Colonial; 2-time champs 2 back, Spieth even

STEPHEN HAWKINS double bogey at No. 18. hole, then hit his tee shot
AP Sports Writer Spieth, coming off missed inside 2 feet of the cup at
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — cuts the past two weeks, the par-3 8th. His 33-footer
Jon Rahm was at Colonial was tied for 34th his six bird- at No. 9 came after play-
during tournament week ies, four bogeys and a dou- ing partner Matt Kuchar
each of the past two years ble bogey. He was even had just missed a slightly
to accept the Ben Hogan par after birdies on his last longer putt on the same
Award that goes to the na- two holes. line on their finishing hole.
tion’s top college golfer. “It’s a great finish. Kept me When changes were
This time, he’s playing in the in the tournament,” Spi- made to the course after
PGA Tour event at Hogan’s eth said. “If I was a couple his 2008 victory, Mickelson
Alley and among the lead- over, you know, in the back missed the cut in 2010 with
ers. of my mind I would be won- a chance to become the
With his 4-under 66 on Thurs- dering about the cut line.” world’s No. 1 player. He lat-
day, Rahm was a stroke After two bogeys on the er indicated that Colonial
behind first-round leaders first four holes, Spieth made no longer suited his game.
Kelly Kraft, Derek Fathauer 4-foot birdie putt at the “Nothing real specific,”
and PGA Tour rookie J.T. 466-yard No. 5 hole, and he said, when asked what
Poston. made a 10-foot birdie at changed his mind. “It’s
That also put Rahm ahead the 168-yard, par-3 13th. been a while and I needed
of two-time Colonial In between those birdies to ... I felt it was in my best
champs Phil Mickelson at two of Colonial’s tough- interest to get in conten-
and Zach Johnson after est holes, Spieth made a tion and try to play more
both birdied their last three nearly 40-foot putt to save events and try to get the
holes for 67s. He also led par after a wayward drive scores, results out of it.”
2016 winner Jordan Spieth, at No. 9. His drive at the Rahm was at Arizona State
whose even-par round in- 10th went into a concrete when he became the first
cluded six birdies. culvert for another bogey, two-time winner of the Ho- Kelly Kraft tees off on the sixth hole during the first round of the
“The last two times I was and he missed the fairway gan Award. His first com- Dean & DeLuca Invitational golf tournament at Colonial Country
here, all I recorded was right again at the 622-yard petitive round at Colonial Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, May 25, 2017.
super happy and positive 11th, only to get back in came a day after Arizona Associated Press
memories,” Rahm said. “It’s the fairway and go on to a State’s women rallied to
just the vibe that I have 2-foot birdie. win their eighth NCAA amazing,” said Rahm, who something like that and I’m
around this place is so posi- “Hit some very solid shots. championship, and first practiced with that team happy for them. ... To be
tive, especially with Sergio With gusty winds, it’s not since 2009. while in school. “The cool- honest, that energy and
(Garcia) winning and with going to end up where you “To see them win in the est thing is that’s the closest positivity probably helped
the Ben Hogan history that think it’s going to a lot of fashion they did, it was I’ll ever be to experiencing me today.”q
I’m related to now.” the time,” Spieth said. “I felt
The 22-year-old Rahm, the like I missed some fairways
winner at Torrey Pines in by 1-5 yards today. That
January, had only one bo- made a complete differ-
gey while playing with Mas- ence in the way the hole
ters champion Garcia, the played.”
fellow Spaniard who won Before his birdie-birdie fin-
in his first Colonial appear- ish, Spieth had double bo-
ance in 2001. gey at the 429-yard 15th,
Kraft and Graeme Mc- when he blasted from a
Dowell, tied with Rahm for fairway bunker through the
fourth, had the only bogey- green and into the water,
free rounds. Only 33 of the and made bogey at the
121 players finished the first par-3 16th.
round under par. Mickelson, back at Ho-
Scott Brown had the other gan’s Alley for the first time
66, and had the outright since 2010, made an 8-foot
lead at 6 under before a putt at the 435-yard 7th