JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Troy Merritt isn’t obsessed with his position in the FedEx Cup and what he needs to advance in the PGA Tour’s postseason. He figures the best solution is good golf, and he delivered his best round of the year Thursday in The Northern Trust.

Merritt began with a 10-foot par save, followed with a pair of 20-foot birdie putts, and took advantage of calm, rain-softened Liberty National by tying the course record with a 9-under 62 for a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson.

It wasn’t a career low – Merritt twice has shot 61 on the PGA Tour – but it might have been his best round hardly anyone saw.

The storm was so fierce on the eve of the FedEx Cup playoffs opener that the public wasn’t allowed in until 10 a.m., nearly three hours after the round began. And when the fans arrived, most of them were watching the action – what little there was – two groups behind him with Tiger Woods.

Woods, in only his third round since the U.S. Open, made double bogey on the shortest hole on the course, three-putted from 15 feet and had three bogeys from the fairway in a listless round of 75.

Johnson ran off four straight birdies near the end of his round for a 63, a good start in a tournament he already has won twice.

Kevin Kisner and Jon Rahm were at 64, and the group at 65 included Rory McIlroy and the suddenly hot Webb Simpson, who posted his sixth straight round of 65 or better dating to the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational two weeks ago.

The wind arrived in the afternoon, slowing the onslaught of low scores, with no round better than the 66 by Justin Rose.

“Got a bit tricky this afternoon,” Rose said. “I didn’t pay too much attention to this morning’s scores. Saw a scoreboard at one points – 9 (under), 8, 7s, 6s – and I knew it was on. This golf course, if you’re playing well, you can take it on and challenge it.”

LPGA: Jane Park, Anne van Dam and Mi Hyang Lee took advantage of calm conditions in the opening round of the Ladies Scottish Open at North Berwick, Scotland, shooting 8-under 63s to share the lead.

Lee won the Ladies Scottish Open two years ago. The veteran Park and the rookie van Dam are seeking their first Tour victories.

Moriya Jutanugarn was one shot back on a sunny day of low scoring. Players were bracing for wind and rain Friday.

“When I see the forecast, today is like best day and then tomorrow is worst day,” Lee said. “So my plan, my kind of plan was I try to make a lot of birdies.”

Van Dam, a long-hitting Dutch player known for viral videos of her swing, hit a 5-iron to 4 feet for eagle on the par-5 first hole and 6-iron to 3 feet for another eagle on the par-5 12th. She wasn’t pleased that tees were moved up on several holes, including those where she took full advantage.

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