Min Woo Lee surged ahead early in the PGA Tour's season‑closing Tour Championship, while Rory McIlroy experienced a mixed opening round in his quest for another FedExCup title. Lee produced a flawless 62, carding eight birdies without a single bogey on the softened East Lake Golf Club fairways, where preferred lies were in effect after an overnight rain. No player among the 29 who completed the first round managed to stay under par, underscoring the difficulty of the course despite the softened conditions. The 28‑year‑old Australian now enjoys a two‑stroke lead over a trio of challengers: 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, closed the gap to three shots behind Lee. Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia and Ryan Gerard are also sitting at five under par, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood trails by another stroke in a group that includes fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick and Open champion Ryan Fox. Wyndham Clark, the recent BMW Championship victor, posted a three‑under 67 and sits five strokes back. McIlroy, meanwhile, is tied for 20th after a roller‑coaster 68 that featured five birdies but also three bogeys, leaving his bid for a record‑extending fourth FedExCup title very much alive but far from secure.
Lee's round was marked by a series of back‑to‑back birdies beginning on the fourth hole. He was left to play the remainder of his round alone after his playing partner, JJ Spaun, withdrew on the sixth tee due to a shoulder injury. Undeterred, Lee continued to trade the top spot with Hovland, who was playing two groups ahead. Lee wrapped up a bogey‑free front nine by sinking a 20‑foot birdie putt on the eighth and adding another birdie on the ninth.
On the back nine, Lee again demonstrated his scoring prowess, recording consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes and adding a short‑range birdie on the 16th. At that point he had built a two‑stroke cushion over Hovland, who saw his flawless day end 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, 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 looking for a playing partner and there was no one there," Lee reflected. "I just focused on maintaining my tempo and not rushing. I had to slow down a bit, but it worked out in the end." Collin Morikawa, who began his round with a bogey, quickly recovered by posting seven birdies and drawing level with Hovland.
Gotterup also made a strong finish, birdieing three of his last five holes to create a three‑way tie for second place. Åberg capped his round with a three‑birdie surge, joining Bhatia and Gerard at five under.
Scheffler completed the quartet of players tied for fifth after holing a 10‑foot birdie putt on the final hole, marking his fourth round of 65 or better in five seasons. Scheffler commented on his performance: "Aside from the first hole, I wasn't really fighting for par very much. That's always good around here. Every missed fairway here makes it tough to make par, but I gave myself chances and managed to snag a couple of birdies at the end." 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 then making a bogey on the fourth despite holing an eight‑foot putt to save par. He rebounded with a birdie on the sixth but missed a short four‑foot birdie opportunity on the ninth.
Starting the back nine, McIlroy produced two birdies in three holes, recovered from a clumsy bogey on the 14th, and then holed a six‑foot birdie on the next par‑three. He added another birdie on the 17th, yet he entered the second round with only five players ahead of him on the leaderboard. The Tour Championship continues to shape the FedExCup race, with each round offering new opportunities for movement on the leaderboard.
Fans can watch all four rounds live on Sky Sports, with coverage continuing Friday from 6 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf.
For those looking to experience the courses themselves, bookings are available at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. The competition remains wide open, and the quest for the FedExCup will likely see more dramatic swings as the tournament progresses.