Spieth and McIlroy off to quick start at Travelers Championship

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy had the weekend off after a disastrous U.S. Open. Now they find themselves in contention after the first round of the Travelers Championship.

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy couldn’t have started this week any differently than the last one.

Spieth and McIlroy had a weekend to reflect on a poor showing at the U.S. Open. Both missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills with opening rounds of 78 and 80, respectively. The time off showed as they began the Travelers Championship in strong form. Spieth shot a seven-under round of 63 to tie Zach Johnson for the lead, while McIlroy ended up a shot behind after a 64.

Spieth is the defending champion at TPC River Highlands after holing a bunker shot on the first extra hole to defeat Daniel Berger. This year he chipped in from the bunker again, this time for eagle at the par-five sixth. At the fifth, a 225-yard par-three, he hit his approach to within four feet and converted for birdie. His only blemish of the round came at the 15th, when he made bogey after driving into the water. He feels like his game is progressing, but recognizes that it is still early in the tournament.

“I would’t say it was big, or necessary, or anything. I’ve been sticking to the process,” he told Golf Channel after the round. “I’ve been very positive about making progress from how I got pretty off earlier this year. So it’s good to see a good score…but still a long way to go. It’s round one. I’m just glad. First rounds have been detrimental to me, so it’s nice to be in the thick of things.”

This was Spieth’s fifth career round at TPC River Highlands. He has held at least a share of the lead after every one.

McIlroy, meanwhile, got off to a quick start. He birdied four of his first six holes, and made three birdies in a row on the back-nine. Tied for the lead going to the 18th, McIlroy missed a 10-foot putt for par to end up at six-under for the round.

Coming off a disastrous U.S. Open, he spent the weekend working on his game in an attempt to return to form. He feels like that extra time could be a turning point in his season.

“I feel like the work that I did over the weekend sort of started to pay off already. It was nice to see the shots that I was playing out there, being able to work the ball both ways, something that I wasn’t quite as comfortable doing last week,” he said after the round. “You obviously never want to miss the cut in a major, but it might have been a blessing in disguise for the rest of the year.”

Tied with Spieth for the lead is Zach Johnson. Last week at the U.S. Open Johnson complained that the USGA “lost the golf course.” This time out it was the golf course that couldn’t contain him.

Johnson holed a 32-foot birdie at the fourth, chipped in for birdie at the fifth, and made six birdies in a row on the back-nine. His score of 63 is his lowest career round at TPC River Highlands. In 12 prior appearances at the Travelers, Johnson has finished in the top 10 just twice.

“I feel like every time I get here, it just feels like I should shoot nothing – and it bites me,” he said. “The last couple of years, I’m like, all right, you can’t have any expectations in that regard. You’ve just got to go out and execute.”

Next: Complete List of U.S. Open Winners

Peter Malnati and Brian Harman are tied with McIlroy for third. Brooks Koepka, who took home the U.S. Open for the second straight year last week, also got off to a good start with four birdies in a row. Four bogeys on the back-nine, however, dropped him back to two-under and a tie for 35th.

There is still 54 holes left to determine the Travelers champion, but Spieth and McIlroy will take a good round as a positive sign after the week they just had.