Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1
May 27-30
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
$7,500,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia shot bogey-free 7-under 63s on a breezy Thursday to take the opening lead of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.

Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1

Spieth, a former winner in 2016 and two times runner-up, carded his best score in thirthy three rounds at this event.

“It's hard to go any lower,” said Spieth. “That's what I talked about before the tournament. If I could get a couple to go in early in the first round, and the confidence, and the work I've been doing on my stroke the last few days… I thought that would exude just a little bit of confidence into the rest of the round on greens where I've been very successful on before.”

Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1

Garcia matched his closing score at Colonial when he won the first of his eleven PGA Tour wins twenty years ago.

“It was quite breezy. It was gusty, so it wasn't easy to pull some of the clubs. There were some tough holes out there, but I was able to hit really good shots on those holes, and a couple up-and-downs when I needed them.”

Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1

Phil Mickelson, playing with Spieth and defending champion Daniel Berger (68), delighted the crowd with a 22-foot birdie putt on the final hole but had to content himself with a 73 after missing fourteen fairways.

“It was almost like I was trying a little too hard, and I wasn't just calm and let it happen, and I was a little bit antsy. Like I just couldn't quite get calmed down in that same frame of mind.”

Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1

Mickelson found the course very playable but the rough is thick, and he found it often.

“You can't play this course out of the rough because then you have tree trouble, which I had repeatedly, and I didn't putt well,” he said. “But I won the PGA, so I'll see if I can get it turned around for tomorrow and get a little better focus, a little better energy.”

Charles Schwab Challenge 2021 R1