Min Woo Lee surged to an early advantage at the PGA Tour's season‑closing Tour Championship, while Rory McIlroy experienced a mixed start in his quest for FedExCup supremacy. Lee delivered a flawless, bogey‑free 62 at East Lake Golf Club, tallying eight birdies under preferred‑lies conditions that were imposed after an overnight rainstorm.
Remarkably, none of the 29 competitors who completed the round managed to stay under par, underscoring the difficulty of the course. The 28‑year‑old Australian now enjoys a two‑stroke lead over a trio consisting of Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa. World No.
1 Scottie Scheffler, however, closed his opening round with a pair of birdies to finish on 65, narrowing the gap to three shots. Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia and Ryan Gerard also sit five under par, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood lags a shot behind the group that includes fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick and Open champion Ryan Fox.
Last week’s BMW Championship victor Wyndham Clark trails by five strokes after posting a three‑under 67. McIlroy, meanwhile, finds himself tied for 20th after a roller‑coaster 68 that featured five birdies offset by three bogeys, a start that leaves his dream of a record‑extending fourth FedExCup title hanging in the balance. Lee’s round was punctuated by a string of back‑to‑back birdies beginning on the fourth hole.
He then played the remainder of his round solo after his playing partner, JJ Spaun, withdrew on the sixth hole with a shoulder injury. Undeterred, Lee continued to trade the top spot with Hovland, who was playing two groups ahead. Lee capped a flawless front nine by sinking a 20‑foot birdie putt on the eighth and adding another birdie on the ninth, preserving his bogey‑free status.
On the back nine, Lee again displayed brilliance, posting consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes and adding a short‑range birdie on the 16th. This surge gave him a two‑stroke cushion when Hovland’s immaculate day ended with a three‑putt bogey from 25 feet on the 17th. Hovland responded by getting up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the final par‑five, setting a clubhouse target of six under. Lee matched that closing birdie, restoring his two‑stroke lead and equalling the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.
Reflecting on his solitary round, Lee said, "It was a little strange at first, just like looking for a playing partner and you're just there by yourself. It was more just maintaining speeds and not rushing. I had to just slow down a little bit, but it worked out." His calm approach paid dividends as he kept his rhythm despite the unusual circumstances. Collin Morikawa, who began his round with a bogey, rallied to post seven birdies, pulling level with Hovland.
Gotterup also surged, birdieing three of his final five holes to create a three‑way tie for second place. Åberg finished strong with a three‑birdie finish, joining Bhatia and Gerard at five under. Scheffler rounded out the top five, sealing a 65‑plus round for the fourth time in five seasons after holing a 10‑foot birdie on the final hole.
Scheffler explained his mindset: "Outside of the first hole, I wasn't really battling for par very much. That's always good around this place. Every time you miss a fairway out here, you're going to be struggling for par.
Gave myself some opportunities and was able to make a couple birdies there at the end." His composure under pressure highlights why he remains a favorite for the FedExCup title. McIlroy’s round was a study in contrast. He briefly found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard after failing to get up and down from a bunker on the first hole and making a bogey on the fourth. He did, however, recover with a birdie on the sixth and another at the ninth, though he missed a four‑foot birdie chance on the latter.
The world No. 2 then produced two birdies in three holes to start his back nine, rebounded from a clumsy bogey on the 14th by sinking a six‑foot birdie on the subsequent par‑three, and added another birdie on the 17th.
Despite these flashes of brilliance, McIlroy heads into the second round with only five players positioned below him on the leaderboard. The Tour Championship continues to be a tightly contested battle for the coveted FedExCup, with several players within striking distance of the lead.
Fans can follow all four rounds live on Sky Sports, with coverage slated to resume Friday at 6 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf. For those looking to experience the course firsthand, bookings are available at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland, offering a chance to play the same challenging layout that has produced such dramatic moments.