New York, August 26

Patrick Reed gave his Ryder Cup hopes a timely boost as he charged into a share of the first-round lead at The Barclays on Thursday with defending champion Jason Day in hot pursuit, two strokes back.

American Reed opened with a sizzling five-under 66 in the first of the PGA Tour’s four lucrative FedEx Cup playoff events, finishing level with Scotland’s Martin Laird on a sunny but breezy day at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

World No 1 Day, who triumphed by six shots last year when the tournament was held at Plainfield Country Club, returned a 68 while fellow golfing heavyweights Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy carded 71s.

“It was a clean day,” Reed, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, told reporters after a bogey-free round that also included an eagle and three birdies, all of them coming on his homeward nine. “I feel like I hit the ball pretty solid.”

Reed is scrambling for one of the last three automatic spots on the United States Ryder Cup team to take on holders Europe at Hazeltine outside Minneapolis from September 30-October 2.

US Open champion Dustin Johnson, Spieth, Phil Mickelson, PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker and Ryder rookie Brooks Koepka have already secured their berths, with the final three automatic selections to be decided after The Barclays.

Reed, who sits eighth in the Cup standings, is vying with players such as Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Watson and Olympic bronze medallist Matt Kuchar for those spots. “Of course it’s on my mind,” Reed said of his Cup bid.

Day, the game’s hottest player over the past year with seven tournament wins in his last 23 starts, was relatively happy with a return of four birdies and a lone bogey in his first competitive round in nearly a month. “Overall, I felt great about how I felt like I played,” said the 28-year-old Australian, who finished second at PGA Championship last month in his most recent start.

American world No 2 Dustin Johnson opened with a 70 while Rio golf gold medallist Justin Rose, of England, battled to a 73.

British Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden withdrew from tournament after shooting a three-over 74, citing a knee injury.