Min Woo Lee surged into the early lead at the PGA Tour's climactic Tour Championship, while Rory McIlroy experienced a roller‑coaster start in his quest for FedExCup supremacy. Lee posted an immaculate, bogey‑free 62 at East Lake Golf Club, chalking up eight birdies as the course played under preferred lies after an overnight rain. All 29 competitors who completed the round managed to stay at or under par, underscoring the favorable conditions. The 28‑year‑old Australian now enjoys a two‑stroke cushion over a trio of challengers: Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who finished his opening round with a birdie‑birdie finish to post a 65, has closed the gap to three shots behind Lee.
Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia and Ryan Gerard are also tied at five under, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood trails by an additional stroke in a group that includes fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick and Open champion Ryan Fox. Last week’s BMW Championship victor Wyndham Clark sits five shots back after carding a three‑under 67.
McIlroy, meanwhile, finds himself tied for 20th after a mixed 68 that featured five birdies but also three costly bogeys. Lee’s round was marked by a series of back‑to‑back birdies beginning on the fourth hole.
He was left to navigate the rest of his round solo after his playing partner, JJ Spaun, withdrew on the sixth tee due to a shoulder injury. Undeterred, Lee continued to swap the top spot with Hovland, who was playing two groups ahead.
Lee wrapped up a flawless front nine by sinking a 20‑foot birdie putt on the eighth and adding another on the ninth. In the second half, Lee again produced consecutive birdies on the 12th and 16th holes, extending his lead to two strokes when Hovland’s otherwise pristine day was marred by a three‑putt bogey from 25 feet on the 17th. Hovland responded by scrambling from a greenside bunker to birdie the final par‑five, setting a clubhouse target of six under. Lee matched that closing birdie, preserving his two‑stroke advantage and equalling the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.
"It felt a little odd at first, like I was searching for a playing partner and ended up on my own," Lee reflected. "I just focused on maintaining my rhythm and not rushing. I had to slow down a bit, and it paid off." Collin Morikawa, who began his round with a bogey, rallied by posting seven birdies and drawing level with Hovland.
Gotterup birdied three of his final five holes, creating a three‑way tie for second place. Åberg finished strong with a three‑birdie finish, joining Bhatia and Gerard at five under.
Scheffler completed the leading pack, tied for fifth after holing a 10‑foot birdie on the final hole, marking his fourth season in which he has opened with a 65 or better. "Except for the first hole, I wasn't really fighting for par much," Scheffler said. "That's always a good sign on this course. Miss a fairway here and you’ll be scrambling for par.
I gave myself some chances and managed to convert 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 despite holing an eight‑footer to save par. He rebounded with a birdie on the sixth but missed a short birdie opportunity on the ninth. The Irishman then recorded two birdies in three holes to start his back nine, recovered 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 highlights, he entered the second round with only five players trailing him. The FedExCup race remains wide open. Fans can follow all four rounds of the Tour Championship live on Sky Sports, with coverage continuing Friday from 6 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf.
For those who prefer streaming without a contract, NOW offers an option. Golf enthusiasts looking to play a round themselves can compare rates and book tee times at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland.