Two-time main winner Collin Morikawa fired astunning nine-under par 61 to grab a share of the lead in Thursday’s opening spherical of the US PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship whereas top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and injured Rory McIlroy struggled.
Scheffler, this yr’s Gamers Championship winner, started the day on 10-under par at East Lake in Atlanta with a two-stroke lead over Norway’s Viktor Hovland due to staggered scoring primarily based upon season level totals.
However the American was undone by a triple bogey on the par-3 fifteenth, discovering water off the tee and needing three putts to complete, as his season factors edge evaporated after he fired a gap 71.
Morikawa, who started on 1-under and 9 adrift of Scheffler, fired the bottom first spherical in Tour Championship historical past, making seven birdies and an eagle on a bogey-free day.
“I’ve grinded my butt off. I’ve spent approach an excessive amount of time on the market,” Morikawa stated. “However I figured some issues out. It’s clearly good to see.”
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Morikawa shines at Tour Championship | 01:23
Because of the odd scoring format, Morikawa was on 10-under and sharing the lead with fellow American Keegan Bradley, who opened with a 63, and Hovland, who shot 68, with Scheffler fourth on 9-under after firing 71.
Scheffler had been three-under by way of six holes – and with a five-shot lead over the sector – earlier than dropping 5 photographs earlier than a birdie on 17 resurrected a depressing spherical.
“Im fairly annoyed with how I performed,” Scheffler stated. “I assume it’s somewhat little bit of a blessing to have a fairly dangerous day and nonetheless be within the event. So go on the market tomorrow and simply preserve preventing.”
The 61 was Morikawa’s career-low PGA Tour spherical, one beneath his ultimate spherical ultimately yr’s Event of Champions, and one off the course report 60 fired by Zach Johnson in 2007.
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Defending champion McIlroy, the world quantity two and four-time main winner from Northern Eire, struggled by way of again ache with a 70 to complete three off the tempo, precisely the place he started the day.
McIlroy suffered the damage whereas exercising at residence on Tuesday and had no apply earlier than his spherical.
“My complete decrease again spasmed, seized up. I couldn’t transfer,” McIlroy stated. “I truthfully couldn’t deal with the ball this time yesterday. So to get to the place I’m at this time is sweet.”
McIlroy was 2-over on the day after 11 holes and eight adrift however made three birdies in 4 holes and with Scheffler’s fade not even a closing bogey may dim his fightback.
“I hung in there and I simply felt like if I may get by way of at this time, it’s higher than it was yesterday, hopefully tomorrow’s higher than it was at this time, and simply form of attempt to preserve progressing,” McIlroy stated.
Sky Sports activities’ Wayne Riley spoke to McIlroy on the course and revealed: “He stated the way it began was throwing his daughter Poppy within the pool on Monday. He was throwing her round like we do with our youngsters and simply pulled somewhat factor on his left facet.
“Didn’t suppose something of it, he stated he all the time feels somewhat bit stiff on his left facet, after which he got here right here on Wednesday not considering an excessive amount of about it.
“He goes to the gymnasium every single day and does some squats after which his decrease again simply seized up, his decrease proper facet and he simply needed to fall over, get on his again they usually’ve been working laborious on it ever since.”
McIlroy was in seen ache on the driving vary and through his spherical, ceaselessly dropping his membership instantly after hitting the ball. He obtained therapy mid-round from his caddie, and had his again closely strapped up.
The 30-player battle for an $18 million USD ($A26m) FedEx Cup season factors playoff prime prize tightened significantly with Morikawa stealing the present.
“You’ve received to have your foot on the pedal,” Morikawa stated. “That is the top of our season for a purpose. Regardless that I had an excellent spherical at this time I wish to preserve doing that for subsequent few.
“I haven’t been this pin-high with my irons in fairly a while. That’s an indication of management. After which with the ability to make some putts. I nonetheless left some on the market however I’m not going to complain in any respect. I’m very, more than happy with this spherical.”
– ‘A kind of days’ –
Bradley, who started seven off the lead, was thrilled as properly after birdies on three of the final 4 holes to complete a bogey-free spherical.
“It was a kind of days the place all the pieces was going proper,” Bradley stated. “I made a bunch of putts, I hit the ball nice and after I missed some photographs I hit them in nice spots and received them up and in.” Bradley stated it was essential to make the transfer early to make up his deficit rapidly.
“It was so necessary,” he stated. “Once you get right here all the pieces form of amplifies so I’m proud.” Morikawa, whose final win got here on the 2021 DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, sank a three-foot birdie putt on the first, a 20-foot birdie putt on the fifth then eagled the par-5 sixth after dropping his second shot inside 4 ft from the outlet.
He added a 12-foot birdie putt at 10, a 36-foot birdie putt on the twelfth, a 10-footer to birdie 16, a 13-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth and a six-footer at 18.
McIlroy cautions in opposition to playing followers | 01:05
DAY FIRES AFTER SLOW START
In the meantime, Australia’s Jason Day had an up-and-down first spherical. It started with a bogey on the par-4 opening gap after lacking an 11-foot putt for par, earlier than dropping one other shot on the third with one other missed putt from related vary.
He went on a scorching streak and picked up birdies on the fourth, sixth and eighth holes. He picked up two extra on the 14th and fifteenth, pars 4 and three respectively, as he seemed to make a cost.
However he discovered the tough off the tee on 16 and copped a bogey, earlier than one other birdie on 17 as his 149-yard strategy shot went inches from holing out.
Having begun the spherical at one-under due to the staggered scoring system, he carded a three-under. His four-under total has him in a tie for seventeenth, six photographs off the leaders.