PGA Tour: Tommy Fleetwood five shots off Sam Ryder at Valero Texas Open

Tommy Fleetwood is five shots off the lead at the Valero Texas Open, where Sam Ryder surged into the lead on day one.

Fleetwood is tied for sixth with five other players after hitting five birdies and one bogey on his way to carding a four-under 68.

Ryder birdied six of his final seven holes in a bogey-free 63 as he leapfrogged Keith Mitchell at the top of the leaderboard in the final tournament before The Masters.

The 35-year-old has never won on the PGA Tour and holds the No 154 ranking in the world. If he wins the tournament, he will earn an invitation to Augusta National.

Ryder, who has made the cut in all nine of his tournaments this year, had to withdraw from the pro-am on Wednesday when he felt a twinge at the base of his neck but returned well rested as he stormed up the leaderboard.

“I was just trying to get a feel for how I could swing,” Ryder said. “I think it helped me stay within myself today. I was just happy to be playing.

“I figured anything under par is always usually pretty good out here. Didn’t go in with any intentions of trying to be more aggressive or anything like that, was just trying to put one foot in front of the next and have a solid round, hit fairways and as many greens as possible.”

Mitchell was also bogey-free, with an eagle on the par-5 eighth the highlight of his eight-under 64 – his third opening round of 65 or under on the PGA this year.

2023 Open champion Brian Harman sat in third place after a 66, and Carson Young and Jordan Spieth were tied for fourth at 5-under 67.

Spieth, a Texas native, won this event in 2021 and is looking for his first win on tour in almost three years.

His round featured a shank on the 17th which saw his ball land four inches in front of an embedded rock, but he recovered, hitting to within 12 feet where he made the putt for birdie.

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Max Homa, meanwhile, was in danger of missing another cut to extend his slump. He announced he has parted with caddie Joe Greiner, after leaving his swing coach last fall.

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