Scottie Scheffler made a dream begin to his bid for a maiden FedExCup victory after surging right into a seven-shot lead following the opening spherical of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.
The world No 1 has already gained six instances on the PGA Tour this season and arrived at East Lake with a two-shot cushion over closest challenger Xander Schauffele, with Scheffler recovering from a bogey begin to take early management of the match.
Scheffler fired seven birdies – together with 5 in his final seven holes – to shut a round-of-the-day 65 and soar to 16 below, making the 28-year-old the overwhelming favorite to win the season finale and declare the $25m jackpot.
Schauffele’s one-under 70 leaves him tied-second alongside Collin Morikawa, who began his again 9 with six consecutive birdies, with Hideki Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley – the winners of the primary two Playoff occasions – within the group sharing fourth on eight below.
How Scheffler set the tempo at East Lake
Scheffler’s two-shot pre-tournament benefit briefly disappeared on the par-four first, the place he didn’t stand up and down from in need of the inexperienced to avoid wasting par and Schauffele holed an eight-foot birdie to maneuver to 9 below.
The FedExCup chief edged again forward with a close-range birdie on the third however missed an opportunity from inside 10 ft to double his cushion on the fifth, permitting Schauffele to tug again degree when he arrange a close-range birdie on the par-five sixth.
Xander Schauffele can also be trying to win the FedExCup for the primary time
Scheffler responded by rolling in a 35-footer on the seventh to regain the solo benefit and attain the flip one forward, though he solely stayed in entrance when Schauffele squandered an eight-foot birdie alternative on the par-four tenth.
Schauffele didn’t convert from six ft to avoid wasting par on the eleventh and rapidly fell additional behind, as Scheffler posted back-to-back birdies from the twelfth to leap to 13 below and 4 away from the sphere.
Scheffler began the Tour Championship as FedExCup chief for the third 12 months in a row
Scheffler missed his eagle try from 20 ft on the par-five 14th however tapped in for a 3rd straight birdie, as Schauffele holed from 15 ft to additionally choose up a shot earlier than bogeying the sixteenth to drop 5 strokes adrift.
The lead elevated additional when Scheffler added a 15-foot birdie on the par-four seventeenth, earlier than an excellent up and down from the greenside bunker noticed him reap the benefits of par-five final and construct the largest opening-round lead since beginning strokes had been applied on the Tour Championship in 2019.
“Yeah, I’m pleased with the day,” Scheffler instructed Sky Sports activities. “I tried not to think about any sort of lead or anything like that, my job was to go out there and execute and I felt like I did a really good job of that. I felt like I was doing some good stuff to start the day. I had the bogey on one but after that I felt like I played some really good golf.”
Schauffele blended three birdies with two bogeys in a irritating opening spherical, with Morikawa’s 66 initially equalling the bottom rating of the day till Scheffler’s late birdie run.
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Matsuyama and Bradley are joined eight again by Adam Scott, Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark, with Sahith Theegala leaping to ninth after 5 birdies within the final six holes.
Rory McIlroy’s bid for report fourth FedExCup victory required three birdies within the final 5 holes to salvage a two-under 69, leaving him 10 strokes again, with defending champion Viktor Hovland on 4 below and tied-Twentieth regardless of making seven birdies in his opening-round 69.
Who will the FedExCup? Watch the season-ending Tour Championship reside all week on Sky Sports activities. Early protection from East Lake begins on Friday from 4pm on Sky Sports activities+, forward of full protection from 6pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and extra with NOW.
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