YOUNG AMERICAN KEEPS UP GOOD FORM

SPIETH LEADS WITH A 66 - 11 BETTER 

THAN TIGER'S COMEBACK 

FROM GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
WINDERMERE, Florida – Jordan Spieth has been around the world and back the past few days – so it’s only natural that the 21-year-old wunderkind grabbed the first-round lead at the Hero World Challenge.

Spieth, pictured, courtesy of Getty Images(c),  just five days removed from a dominating victory at the Emirates Australian Open, carded a 6-under 66 Thursday at Isleworth Golf and Country Club to take a one-shot lead among one of golf’s most impressive fields of the year.
Host Tiger Woods, making his comeback after months on the injured list, shot a disappointing 77.
“Six under on this course is a really good round,” said Spieth, who won by six last Sunday in Australia and nearly won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan the week earlier. “I came here with a lot of confidence, and I played very well today.”
After starting his round on a high note with a birdie at the first, Spieth caught fire at No. 6, rattling home five consecutive birdies. None was more important than the tap-in at the seventh.
“I opened the face for kind of a spinner, and it came out perfectly and took one hop and just checked and almost went in. Hit the lip,” Spieth said of his pitch to the par-5 green from a downhill, sidehill slope. “That was a big birdie to grab."
He missed several makeable putts coming down the stretch but capped his round with a curling 12-footer for par at 18.
“I said, ‘Let’s just put a little smoother stroke on this and let it die in,’” Spieth said.
And it did.
Spieth is jet-lagged from travelling to Japan and Australia but hopes to ride the momentum of his strong play to another victory.
“I hit it the best I’ve hit it since maybe the spring in Japan," Spieth said. "I didn’t hit it great last week, but I putted out of my mind."
He credited his swing coach, Cameron McCormick, for making a minor tweak to his path when they practised on the putting green in Australia ahead of the tournament in Sydney.
“It was something so minor that I wouldn’t have been able to tell,” he said. “But it freed me up and gave me the confidence inside 10 feet to be aggressive. This week I’m just trying to continue that and get my ball-striking where it was last week or even in Japan.”
But the youngster has some big names snapping at his heels entering Friday’s second round.
Defending champion Zach Johnson shot a 5-under 67, thanks to a bag of eight birdies, to share second with Rickie Fowler, Steve Stricker and Henrik Stenson. 
Three more players, including Graeme McDowell, are a shot further removed after 68s.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities today,” said Johnson, who won this event last year with a memorable hole-out down the stretch at Sherwood Country Club in California. “I don’t think I missed a green today; maybe I missed one fairway.”
For tournament host Tiger Woods, however, the day wasn’t quite so kind.
The 14-time major champion bogeyed the first hole and never recovered, carding a 77 in his first competitive round since the PGA Championship in August.
“I didn’t feel like I hit it that poorly,” Woods said, “I hit a lot of good shots. But my short game was just awful. It was one of those days where nothing went my way.”
Still, the former World No. 1 remained optimistic after the round and echoed a familiar philosophy that golf fans have come to expect from him over the years.
“I’ve got three more days,” he said. “If I can get under par for the tournament (which would mean shooting a 66) after tomorrow and then put together a really good weekend, you never know.”

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72. players from USA unless stated otherwise
66 Jordan Spieth
67 Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson (Sweden).
68 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland), Jimmy Walker, Hideki
 Matsuyama (Japan)
69 Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson .

SELECTED SCORES
72 Justin Rose (14th)
77 Tiger Woods (last of 18)

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