Min Woo Lee surged to the top of the leaderboard early on in the PGA Tour's season‑closing Tour Championship, while Rory McIlroy got off to a mixed start in his quest for another FedExCup title. Lee posted an immaculate, bogey‑free 62 at East Lake Golf Club, carding eight birdies as the course played under preferred lies after an overnight rain.
None of the 29 competitors who finished the round managed to stay under par, underscoring how impressive Lee's performance truly was. The 28‑year‑old Australian now enjoys a two‑stroke lead over a trio that includes Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa. World number one Scottie Scheffler, who finished his opening round with a birdie‑birdie finish to post a 65, sits three shots back, keeping the pressure on the early leader.
Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia and Ryan Gerard also share a five‑under‑par position with Scheffler, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood trails by an additional stroke in a group that features fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick and Open champion Ryan Fox. Last week’s BMW Championship champion Wyndham Clark lags five strokes after a solid three‑under‑68, and McIlroy finds himself tied for 20th after a roller‑coaster 68 that combined five birdies with three bogeys. The Irish star’s round was marked by a strong start on the front nine, a stumble in the middle, and a determined finish that kept him within striking distance of the leaders. Lee’s round was punctuated by a string of back‑to‑back birdies beginning on the fourth hole.
He was left to finish the day solo after his playing partner, JJ Spaun, withdrew on the sixth tee because of a shoulder injury. Undeterred, Lee continued to trade the top spot with Hovland, who was playing two groups ahead. Lee closed a flawless front nine by sinking a 20‑foot birdie putt on the eighth and adding another birdie on the ninth, cementing his early advantage. On the back nine, Lee again displayed brilliance, recording consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes and adding a third from close range on the 16th.
His lead swelled to two strokes when Hovland, who had been matching Lee’s steady play, stumbled on the 17th with a three‑putt bogey from 25 feet. Hovland quickly recovered, chipping out of a greenside bunker to birdie the final par‑five, setting a clubhouse target of six under par. Lee answered with a closing birdie of his own, matching his personal best round on the PGA Tour. "It felt a bit odd at first, like I was looking for a playing partner and there was no one there," Lee reflected.
"I just focused on keeping my swing speed steady and not rushing. I had to slow down a little, and it paid off." Morikawa, who began his round with a bogey, rallied by making seven birdies and pulling level with Hovland. Gotterup also made a late surge, birdieing three of his final five holes to join a three‑way tie for second place.
Åberg capped his round with a three‑birdie finish, joining Bhatia and Gerard at five under. Scheffler, meanwhile, completed the quartet tied for fifth after holing a 10‑foot birdie putt on the final hole, marking his fourth time in five seasons of posting a 65 or better.
"Aside from the first hole, I wasn't really fighting for par very much," Scheffler said. "That's always good around here. Miss a fairway and you’re fighting for par. I gave myself some chances and managed to make a couple of birdies at the end." McIlroy’s round was a study in contrasts.
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 then making a bogey on the fourth. He recovered with a birdie on the sixth but missed a short birdie chance on the ninth. A strong three‑birdie stretch on the back nine, including a crucial birdie on the 14th after a wayward bogey, helped him finish the day only five players behind the leader. Looking ahead, the FedExCup race remains wide open.
Scheffler will be chasing Lee, while Hovland, Morikawa, Gotterup and the rest of the field aim to close the gap over the next three rounds. Fans can follow every swing of the competition live on Sky Sports, with coverage continuing Friday at 6 p.m.
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