Deutsche Bank Championship: Moore, Hahn Share Day 1 Lead

As the action got underway at TPC Boston on Friday, Ryan Moore and James Hahn proved to be the early pace-setters at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Leg two of four of the FedEx Cup Playoffs began on Friday at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Headlining the leaderboard after round one were Ryan Moore and James Hahn, who share a one stroke lead at 6-under at TPC Boston.

Moore came out of the gates with a boost from a strong month of August, emphasized with a win at the John Deere Classic and a T-7 finish at The Barclays last week. Continuing his solid run of form, Moore fired his round of 65 with six birdies while going bogey free. His par save at the 18th to finish his day off might be a performance that propels into contention once more come Monday’s final round.

After a missed cut at the Barclays, Hahn turned the tide on his game by firing a six birdie, bogey free round. He capped the day off in style with a closing birdie on the ninth hole.

While both men played solid enough to lead the pack, just behind their shoulders lurk a gaggle of competitors vying for the Championship and maximum FedEx Cup points.

A total of 38 golfers sit within three strokes of the lead.

The most notable members of the bunch include World No. 6 Adam Scott, 2003 Deutsche Bank Champion, and Steve Stricker, who won the event in 2009. They highlight a 13-way tie for seventh, two strokes off the leaders.

Three strokes off the lead is where most of the favorites to win the Deutsche Bank Championship currently sit. Major championship winners in 2016, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, birdied their last holes to set themselves up in a better position come Saturday.

2015 Deutsche Bank Champion, Rickie Fowler, also sits at three-under-par. He is seeking redemption from a disappointing Sunday defeat to Patrick Reed at the Barclays after coming into the final round tied for first.

Reed, who currently leads the FedEx Cup points list, finds himself tied with Fowler for the second consecutive week at three-under-par. His one shot victory over Sean O’Hair placed him in prime position to become the ninth different winner in the ten year history of the FedEx Cup. Tiger Woods has been the only player to win the Playoffs twice, in 2007 and 2009.

World No. 1, Jason Day, is T-48 at one-under-par. His round was quite remarkable considering his wife, Ellie, and two children were involved in a car accident. Everyone involved is reported to be OK and, “resting comfortably,” Day said.

2015 FedEx Cup Champion Jordan Spieth was also in better form than he has been of late, and sits within the high profile group that is at three under.

World No. 5 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and No. 7 Bubba Watson, are tied for 67th, six shots back at even-par. American Phil Mickelson made a quadruple bogey on the 6th hole, which left him T-93, 10 shots back.