Smith’s setback in chase for FedEx Cup glory

Cameron Smith has fallen a stroke further back in his pursuit of FedEx Cup glory after one false swing punctuated an otherwise strong start to the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

Three birdies in his opening seven holes brought Smith to within three strokes of leader Patrick Cantlay but a double bogey at the par-3 15th was a setback that leaves him six strokes adrift in a tie for fifth with three rounds left to play.

A birdie at the par-5 finishing hole was Smith’s only one of the back nine in a round of 2-under 68 that will see him start the second round at 7-under and six shots behind Cantlay (67) and three four back of Jon Rahm (65).

Starting the Tour Championship at 5-under par and in fifth position in the FedEx Cup standings, Smith rolled in a putt for birdie from 17 feet at the second hole and followed it up with birdies from eight and 11 feet at the fifth and seventh holes respectively to progress up the leaderboard.

He made a crucial par save from 20 feet after coming up short at the par-3 11th but there was no salvaging a three when the Queenslander’s tee shot at the intimidating par-3 15th sailed left and into the water.

Calling on his sublime short game Smith played a pitch from the drop zone to inside eight feet but missed the putt for bogey to drop two shots to 6-under and six off the lead.

“It got a little bit away from me at the end,” Smith conceded.

“I didn’t hit very many good shots coming in. I was out of position a lot off the tee on the back nine and kind of had to scramble my way around.

“I did a pretty good job of it, but I would have rather have had another nine like the front nine.”

Admitting that it is an odd feeling to start the first round five strokes off the lead, Smith believes he will now be able to recalibrate and focus on reeling in the six-stroke deficit in the final three rounds of the season.

“It’s a little bit strange, but after today we all forget about it and we’re ready to go the next three

Days,” said Smith.

“Does your head in a little bit but it is what it is.

“You just got to treat it as you’re five shots behind after one round.

“You just got to go out there and play your best golf and hopefully it all works out.”

Steph starts strong in Sweden

Sydney’s Stephanie Kyriacou is positioned to push for a second Ladies European Tour title this year after an opening round of 4-under 68 at the Creekhouse Ladies Open in Sweden.

Currently second in the season-long Race to Costa Del Sol points race, Kyriacou’s round of 68 featured six birdies and two bogeys on the back nine to sit two back of Wales’ Chloe Williams (66) and level with Race to Costa Del Sol leader Atthaya Thitikul (68) of Thailand.

The moneylist front-runners were paired together alongside Marianne Skarpnord on day one and both picked up a birdie at the first to get the ball rolling at Kristianstad Golf Club.

Another birdie on five saw Kyriacou finish the front nine in 34 (-2), while Thitikul rolled in three more birdie putts on the third, seventh and eighth – as well as dropping a shot on the sixth – to get to the turn three shots under par.

Kyriacou endured an up-and-down back nine with four birdies and two bogeys on her card – including a dropped shot on the short par-4 15th after finding the water, but leaves her right in the mix after 18 holes.

“It was a good day. I started with a birdie and finished with a birdie so I was happy with that,” said Kyriacou, the 2020 LET Rookie of the Year.

“I think I’m in a good spot but there’s still three days to go.

“It’s a new course for me, but I really like it and it’s really fitting to my eye so hopefully I can shoot a few more low ones.

“The wind wasn’t too high today so it made it easier than the practice rounds.”

Four birdies on the back nine enabled Queensland’s Amy Walsh to bounce back from a disappointing front nine to post 2-over 74 for her opening round and level with Whitney Hillier, who had a run of four straight bogeys in her round of 74.

Lee earns share of Italian Open lead

A confident Min Woo Lee has earned a share of the lead with a brilliant round of 7-under 64 on the opening day of the European Tour’s DS Automobiles Italian Open at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.

Still riding the wave of momentum generated by his abrdn Scottish Open victory in July, Lee was out early from the 10th tee and despite dropping a shot at the 11th hole following an opening birdie responded with five more birdies to make the turn in 5-under 31.

He added further birdies at the third and sixth holes to be the first to post 7-under, joined shortly after by former Open champion Henrik Stenson and Finland’s Kalle Samooja, the trio one stroke clear of Aussie Scott Hend, playing partner Eddie Pepperell and Edoardo Molinari, whose first round highlight was an ace at the par-3 seventh.

Lee’s victory in a playoff at the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club not only earned the West Australian entry into his first Open Championship at Royal St George’s a week later but has instilled an enhanced sense of confidence over every shot.

“It was a strong field and definitely a bit of belief in myself and a bit of confidence,” Lee said of his Scottish Open triumph, the 23-year-old’s second European Tour title.

“I can step up on every shot and say, ‘Just do the same that you did at the Scottish Open.’

“It’s very nice. Life’s nice when your golf’s good.”

Playing the course that will host the 2023 Ryder Cup, Lee used a dominant day with the driver to give himself birdie opportunities at almost every turn.

He averaged 33.4 yards off the tee to rank first in driving distance on day one and hit 85.7 per cent of fairways, his 25 putts also the low number of the opening round in a complete performance.

“I hit it really good off the tee, didn’t really give myself position to make bogey,” said Lee.

“I made one but other than that I played solid and made my up-and-downs when I needed to.”

Like Lee, Scott Hend made a fast start from the back nine, rattling off three straight birdies from the 11th hole and adding another at the par-4 15th to make the turn in 4-under.

There was a slight stumble at the par-4 first but he recovered with birdies at two, five and nine to sit just one back of the lead.

A double-bogey five on the par-3 seventh was the only blot on Maverick Antcliff’s first round of 2-under 69 while Wade Ormsby (72) and Kiwi Ryan Fox (76) have work to do in the second round to make the cut.