Jacob Bridgeman opened with a bogey-free 63 at Yokohama Country Club, grabbing the Baycurrent Classic lead. Max Homa and a tight pack trail after the first round.
Jacob Bridgeman walked onto the greens at Yokohama Country Club and started rolling in putts from the opening hole. He posted an 8-under 63 without a single bogey, setting the early pace at the Baycurrent Classic. Bridgeman's touch on the greens stood out: he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting after the first round, living up to his reputation as the world's top putter.
Before the Baycurrent Classic, Bridgeman led the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting with an average of +0.757 per round and ranked fifth in putts per round at 27.90.
Jordan Smith from England kept his card clean as well, shooting a 7-under 64 to sit one shot back. Smith's experience on Japanese layouts from his DP World Tour days showed up in his steady play.
Leaderboard dynamics and early contenders
The leaderboard bunched up quickly. Pierceson Coody and Mac Meissner joined Ricky Castillo and Max Homa at 6 under, sharing third. Five more-Keith Mitchell, Kristoffer Ventura, Michael Thorbjornsen, Andrew Putnam, and David Lipsky-finished at 5 under, three behind Bridgeman.
Bridgeman's 63 was his third consecutive round of 64 or better, dating back to his performance at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, as highlighted by the PGA Tour.
Notable performances and the field's depth
Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, both making their first fall starts, struggled out of the gate. Spieth shot 72 and Fowler 73, leaving them T52 and T62 in the 72-man field. With no cut after 36 holes, everyone stays in play, but Bridgeman's early lead forces the rest to chase hard.
Bridgeman's clean card and control on the greens set a high bar. The first round showed off the international depth and how slim the margins are at this level. The Baycurrent Classic's format means every shot counts, and Bridgeman's putting edge is already shaping the chase.
After his round, Bridgeman pointed to his approach shots for giving him easy looks, saying, "I felt like I was hitting it in good spots and leaving myself pretty simple putts." He planned to keep working on the practice green to stay sharp, as detailed in the PGA Tour's round recap.
