Spain & # 039; s Rahm takes three shot lead in Memphis

Jon Rahm is looking for his third win this year after claiming the New Orleans Irish Open and Zurich Classic WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational: First-round leaderboard-8 J Rahm (Spa); -5 H Matsuyama (Jpn), B Watson (US), S Imahira (Jpn), P Cantlay (US), C Smith (Aus); -4 A Putnam (USA), I Poulter (Eng), T Olesen (Den), T Hatton (Eng), N Lashley (USA), A Noren (Swe) Selected others: -3 J Rose (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Scary); -2 B Koepka (USA), T Fleetwood (Eng), P Mickelson (USA); -1 D Johnson (US), D Willett (Eng), R McIlroy (NI) Full scoreboard

Jon Rahm leads the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational after having tied his low-round career with an eight-under 62.

The Spaniard, 24, has a three-shot lead after a bogey-free lap on the TPC Southwind course in Memphis.

Bubba Watson belongs to a group of five out of five in the third of these the four World Golf Championships of the year.

Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton are a shot further back, while world number three Rory McIlroy made four of his last five holes to finish on one under.

Over the past two months, world number eight Rahm also finished in shared third place at the US Open and second place at the Andalucia Masters and had to cancel a practice round on Wednesday due to jet lag.

"I tried to put a little emphasis on being rested and it paid off today," Rahm said. "I have three days to go and hopefully the battery will last.

" I made many putts during my last 10 holes. I read the greens well, but I think the most important key to that was my positioning. "

Justin Rose is in third place while fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who came in second at last week's Open, is in second with the American number one Brooks Koepka.

Rahm, who finished on the 11th at the Open, only needed 23 putts because he is looking for his third title of 2019 after winning the Irish Open and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team competition with American Ryan Palmer.