CROMWELL, Conn. - Jordan Spieth has no idea what it's like to play from behind at the Travelers Championship.
Spieth had at least a share of the lead after every round last year in his first visit to TPC River Highlands, and he shot a 7-under-par 63 Thursday to match Zach Johnson for the first-round lead as this year's tournament got underway.
Spieth had six birdies and an eagle from the bunker on the par-5 sixth hole - a shot reminiscent of the greenside bunker shot that gave him a victory last year over Daniel Berger in a playoff.
"They've got some sort of magnetic sand for me," Spieth joked. "But it was actually a pretty tough shot there, almost a little downslope, and I had to hit close to the ball, which you just have to commit to it. I just hit the shot that was necessary.
"I probably could have gone four, five feet by, but I couldn't hit it any better than I did, and I was obviously fortunate for it to hit the pin and go in."
Johnson went out in the morning and led for most of the day. He had eight birdies, including six straight on the back nine, one off the course record.
"Six in a row is a treat," said Johnson, who tied for 12th last weekend in the U.S. Open. "I had a lot of loft in my hand, lot of wedges in my hand. So that's kind of how you've got to think about it, is you have a lot of opportunity on the back side if you get the ball on the fairway. There are some holes you can get at."
Rory McIlroy missed a 13-foot putt for par on the final hole that would have given him a share of the lead. He was a stroke back and tied for third place with Brian Harman and Peter Malnati. Paul Casey, Beau Hossler and Matt Jones were tied for sixth at 65.
McIlroy - who, like Spieth, missed the cut at the U.S. Open - said he has been working on his swing since Saturday. He saw the practice pay off, hitting 17 greens with seven birdies during his round of 64.
"Sometimes when you take your focus away from the result," he said, "and away from what you're actually scoring like and focus just on what you're trying to do within your golf swing, you sort of have days like this."
With the greens soft and the wind conditions favorable, 22 golfers shot 66 or better.
Brooks Koepka followed his second straight U.S. Open victory with a 68. Koepka, who started on the 10th tee, shot a 31 on his first nine but bogeyed four of his final six holes.
"I'm still kind of going on adrenaline right now," he said. "But I'll be honest, I'm dead right now. I think it showed kind of coming in."
The Travelers was selected by the PGA last year as its "Tournament of the Year" and the "Players Choice." That has helped attract a 156-player field that includes five of the world's top 10 ranked golfers and all four reigning major championship winners.
PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas was among those who shot a 66, and he made an eagle on the sixth hole out of the same bunker as Spieth, last year's British Open winner. Masters champion Patrick Reed had a tougher day, making four bogeys in a 72.
Former Baylor School standout Harris English (69) was tied for 37th, the best start among three former Red Raiders in the field. Keith Mitchell (70) was tied for 77th and Luke List (72) was tied for 114th.
Gros nets lead
PULHEIM, Germany - Sebastien Gros shot a 4-under 68 in windy conditions to lead by a stroke after the opening round of the BMW International Open.
Gros had four birdies to take the lead before the turn, and he moved two strokes ahead when he made a six-foot putt on No. 15 at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof. But a bogey on the next hole left the 28-year-old Frenchman just one ahead of Jorge Campillo, Scott Jamieson, Aaron Rai and Henric Sturehed, who made eagle on the par-5 13th hole and was the morning leader.
Christofer Blomstrand, Nico Geyger, David Howell, Victor Perez, Mark Tullo and Nicolai von Dellingshausen were another stroke back in sixth. There were 11 golfers tied for 12th at 1 under, including Andres Romero, the 2017 tournament's winner; four-time major winner Ernie Els, the 2013 tournament champion; and three-time European Tour winner Andy Sullivan.