Birdie blitz edges Rahm ahead in Tennessee

Jon Rahm made an impressive run of birdies around the turn to edge himself in front on day one of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

The Spaniard has three Rolex Series victories but has yet to claim a World Golf Championships title, losing in the final of the 2017 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

This event is being played at TPC Southwind for the first time and Rahm played his first 12 holes in five under to open up a one shot lead in Memphis.

American Patrick Cantlay, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Australian Cameron Smith were four under, a shot clear of a group containing English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

Starting on the tenth, Rahm hit a lovely tee shot into the par three 11th and took advantage of the par five 16th before his putter got hot and he burst through the field.

A 20 footer on the 18th was followed by a putt from similar range on the first and he joined Matsuyama in the lead, with the 2017 champion picking up shots on the second, third, fourth and tenth.

Another Matsuyama birdie on the 11th edged him back ahead but Rahm holed from 18 feet on the second to join him.

Matsuyama then bogeyed the 12th to leave Rahm alone in top spot.

Cantlay and Smith had both completed 13 holes, the same as Fleetwood and four more than Rose.

Canadian Corey Conners, Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Nate Lashley and Jordan Spieth, and Japan's Shugo Imahira were also at three under.