FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler entered the event leading by two strokes at 10-under and carded the low score of the day with a 6-under 65 to hold a seven-stroke lead.
“I’m trying not to think much about the starting strokes stuff. I think it’s still a bit weird with it not being a traditional event. But it was nice to get off to a good start in the first round, and I feel like I did a lot of things well today.
“I was more interested to see how they wanted to set up the golf course, because if they wanted to set it up as hard as they possibly could, I think you get into an area where with new greens and the way the run-ups are still a little softer because they’re new, as well, you could end up in some spots where you’re not really rewarding good shots, and I felt like today the golf course was set up in a way in which the good shots were rewarded.
“If you’re coming out of the rough to these pins it’s still very difficult to hold the green. Anytime you’re in the rough you’re really struggling to try and make par. I thought it was an appropriate setup today.”
The American becomes the first player to hold a lead of seven strokes or more after 18 holes of a Tour event on record (1983-present). He also held the previous largest 18-hole lead since the Starting Strokes format started in 2019 (5; 2022).
He entered the Tour Championship at No. 1 in the FedExCup standings for the third consecutive year (T2/2022, T6/2023). With a victory on Sunday, Scheffler would win the FedExCup for the first time in his career and earn his seventh title of the season. The last player to win seven or more times in a single season was Tiger Woods in 2007.
Players to win seven or more times in a single season since start of 1983 season:
Tiger Woods, 2007 (7)
Tiger Woods, 2006 (8)
Vijay Singh, 2004 (9)
Tiger Woods, 2000 (9)
Tiger Woods, 1999 (8)
Collin Morikawa lies in a share of second place at 9-under afer closing with a 66 featuring six consecutive birdies from the 10th, tying the longest birdie streak of his career and setting the longest birdie streak in Tour Championship history.
“After nine I told myself to start only thinking about my shot and not worrying about if the ball is going to be perfect or not. We executed some shots, made some putts.
“Look, the game is good enough to come out here and win. I’ve just got to get out of my own head. I’ve talked a lot about that. It’s hard because you try and perfect this game, and it is what it is. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but you make doable scores. Today just got in a nice rhythm kind of around that turn.”
Related: How does the FedEx Cup points system work?
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