The PGA Tour playoffs are officially underway with the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship teeing off on Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
The top 70 players in the season-long FedEx Cup standings punched their tickets to this week’s event, which will be reduced to 50 at next week’s BMW Championship in Missouri.
Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian for the opening round, firing a 1-under 69 on Thursday.
Taylor finished with three birdies on the day, coming at the par-5 3rd, par-4 12th, and par-5 16th.
He dropped shots on the fourth and 14th, both par-3’s, and signed for a 69 as he heads into Friday, four shots back of the lead in a tie for 26th.
Taylor, currently 63rd in the FedEx Cup standings, will need a solo finish of 10th or better to advance onto the BMW Championship.
Yellamaraju, of Mississauga, Ont., shot an even-par 70 for the day after an up-and-down back nine.
The PGA Tour rookie made the turn at 1-under after dropping in a birdie at the par-4 7th, but gave it back with a bogey on 13.
Yellamaraju found trouble on the par-4 15th with a wayward tee shot, and was forced to punch back onto the fairway.
His ensuing approach shot went long and found the bunker, and he would three-putt to card an ugly double-bogey.
However, he would get it right back with an eagle at the next, the par-5 16th, hitting two great shots before rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt to undo the damage.
Yellamaraju enters the week in 57th on the season-long points list and is in need of a three-way tie for 16th at minimum to move onto the next round of the playoffs
Corey Conners came into the clubhouse at 1-over 71 on Thursday and needs to make a move on Friday to stay within striking distance of the leaders.
The Listowel, Ont. native faced an uphill climb after a bogey at the 2nd and a double-bogey at the 6th, but got things back on track after sinking a long birdie putt before the turn.
Conners played steady golf on the back, and added another birdie at the par-5 16th to get back to 1-over on the day.
He is currently 59th on the points list and will require at least a two-way T14 to book a tee time in Missouri next week.
Here is a look at each Canadians’ opening round from TPC Southwind.
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Leaders: Michael Thorbjornsen, Jordan Spieth, Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama, Michael Kim (-5)
| Pos. | Player | Score | Thru | Current Proj. Rank (Top 50 advance) | Minimum Finish Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T26 | Nick Taylor | -1 (69) | F | 64 | Solo 10th |
| T37 | Sudarshan Yellamaraju | E (70) | F | 57 | Three-way T16 |
| T43 | Corey Conners | +1 (71) | F | 60 | Two-way T14 |
