Scottie Scheffler sits second, two pictures off the Tour Championship lead, after a surprising nine-under 61 from Russell Henley within the race for the FedExCup.
World No 1 Scheffler, bidding to turn into the primary participant to efficiently defend the Tour Championship title, closed with three birdies in his ultimate 4 holes – plus a significant par save at 16 – to take a seat alone on seven below.
One stroke additional again in a tie for third are Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and British hopefuls Robert MacIntyre and Tommy Fleetwood.
Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy is 4 below after a combined opening spherical, one which the world No 2 signed off with a exceptional birdie on the par-five 18th after his chipped third out of the bunker deflected off the grandstand and again onto the inexperienced.
McIlroy, taking part in within the ultimate pairing with Scheffler, eagled the par-five sixth to get his spherical up and operating, following that up with an additional birdie at seven, whereas he moved to 4 below with one other at 11.
Dropped pictures at 14 and 17 proved expensive, although he no less than adopted them each up with birdies at every of the following holes – together with that gorgeous end at 18.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Watch the humorous second McIlroy was left in disbelief after giving Scottie Scheffler the right learn for birdie
Scheffler, in the meantime, returned a blemish-free card, his birdie surge down the stretch interspersed with a vital par save at 16, the place Thomas and JJ Spaun had earlier carded double and triple bogeys, respectively.
But it surely nonetheless was not sufficient to earn the four-time main winner the lead, with that honour belonging to Henley after he too completed strongly, signing off his spherical with three straight birdies.
Thomas had been out in entrance on his personal for a lot of the opening spherical, the 2017 FedExCup champion carding a career-best front-nine rating of six below spherical East Lake, earlier than later faltering at 16.
Morikawa held a share of the lead at one level, whereas Cantlay, Fleetwood and MacIntyre are all firmly within the combine as a part of that grouping at six below – the latter bouncing again brilliantly from the frustration of dropping his giant result in Scheffler on the ultimate day of final week’s BMW Championship.
With storms anticipated on Friday, beginning occasions for the second spherical have been introduced ahead, with stay protection on Sky Sports activities Important Occasion beginning at 3pm.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the Tour Championship all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Stream the PGA Tour and extra with no contract.
Get the most effective costs and ebook a spherical at certainly one of 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire
