Jordan Spieth leads Travelers Championship by one shot

Jordan Spieth birdied the final hole to cap a 7-under-par 63 that gave him a one-shot lead after the first round of the Travelers Championship on Thursday in Cromwell, Conn.

Tied for second were Johnson Wagner and Brett Stegmaier after posting 64s in the morning. Spieth played in the afternoon at TPC River Highlands.

The 23-year-old Spieth posted the lowest opening-round score of his career with eight birdies and a bogey while playing the par-70, 6,841-yard course for the first time. Spieth is coming off a tie for 35th last week at the U.S. Open.

Spieth, who has finished in the top 10 six times in 15 events this year, hit eight of 14 fairways in regulation and 15 of 18 greens while needing 27 putts.

Stegmaier, a Connecticut native who has missed the cut in eight of his last 10 tournaments, reeled off seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch through the middle of the opening round. His lone blemish was a bogey at No. 9, his final hole of the day, as he matched his low round on the PGA Tour.

Wagner got off to a hot start, holing out a 69-foot chip from off the first green. He made five birdies and one bogey on the front nine for a 31 and then added two birdies on the back side, including a birdie on his final hole, while needing only 24 putts over 18 holes.

Wagner entered the tournament having missed the cut in his last five starts. The last of his four career wins came at the 2012 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Graham DeLaet of Canada and Troy Merritt opened with 65s. DeLaet's round featured an eagle-3 at the sixth hole.

Rory McIlroy, playing in the Travelers Championship for the first time, shot a 67 after missing the cut last week at the U.S. Open.

Jim Furyk, who shot a 12-under 58 last year in the final round of the tournament, settled for a 67.

Former No. 1-ranked player Jason Day struggled to a 72 and two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson had a 75. Defending champion Russell Knox finished with a 69.