Jordan Spieth opened his title defense in the 100th Australian Open with an even-par 71 in windy conditions at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney and was in a tie for 19th, five strokes behind leader Lincoln Tighe of Australia, who shot 66.
Spieth, No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings, started on the 10th hole and was 2-under through the back nine before playing the back in 2-over.
“The hard part for me is that I was at 2 under,” said Spieth, who last year claimed a six-stroke victory and became the first American to win the tournament since Brad Faxon in 1993. “To finish at even, that’s poor because I still could’ve gotten in at even par on the back nine.
“But it is what it is. I’m still at even and I’m still in this golf tournament. … All in all it was a very tough day for scoring, so even par felt like a 3- or 4-under round. (I’m) still in it, but (I’m) gonna need to go shoot under par tomorrow.”
Tighe, who has made it through the second stage of Qualifying School on the Web.com Tour and will plan in the finals next month at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., carded seven birdies in his 66.
Matthew Jones of Australia was second at 67, while fellow Aussies Geoff Ogilvy and Todd Sinnott were tied for third at 68 with amateur Chun-An Yu of Taiwan.
Amateur Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis, who finished second in the Australian Masters last week, shot 70 and was in a tie for 11th that included Lee Westwood, while 2009 champion Adam Scott matched Spieth’s 71.
