Scottie Scheffler’s opening-round lead, early reviews for East Lake among 5 things to know at 2024 Tour Championship
Scottie Scheffler’s two-stroke lead in the staggered start at the 2024 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta evaporated after just one hole with a bogey and a birdie by closest competitor Xander Schauffele. Would it be the start of a memorable clash between the two best players of the year?
It’s too soon to say but Scheffler is attempting to suck all the drama out of the FedEx Cup trophy chase, shooting 6-under 65 on Thursday to open up a seven-stroke lead after the first round. He’s the first player to hold a lead of seven strokes or more after 18 holes of a Tour event on record (1983-present). Given that he’s won six times this season, it also was surprising to learn that it is Scheffler’s first lead after the first round since the 2022 Tour Championship. But for the 29 players chasing him there’s still hope: Scheffler is 0-for-3 to date with either the 18-hole lead or co-lead.
Here are five more things to know after Thursday’s action.
Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the 12th tee box during the first round of the 2024 Tour Championship. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
After an opening bogey, Scheffler hunkered down and started making birdies, wedging to 4 feet at the third and sinking a 33-foot putt at No. 7. He rattled in three birdies in a row starting at No. 12 to build his lead to four strokes. Then he closed with birdies at 17 and 18 to shoot 65, the low round of the day and stretch his two stroke at the start of the tournament to seven stroks after the first round.
“I’m trying not to think much about the starting strokes stuff,” Scheffler said. “I think it’s still a bit weird with it not being a traditional event. But yeah, it was nice to get off to a good start in the first round, and I feel like I did a lot of things well today.”
Xander Schauffele follows his shot from the 12th tee box during the first round of the 2024 Tour Championship. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
It’s hard to say it was an off day for Xander Schauffele given that he shot 1-under 70 and broke par at East Lake, extending his streak of 29 consecutive rounds at par or better but Schauffele struggled off the tee, especially on the back nine.
“I think I scored OK actually for how bad I hit it. But yeah, overall it was kind of a meh day. Wasn’t something to be proud of or disgusted by,” he said.
Schauffele didn’t have his best stuff after making a 9-foot birdie at the first hole to tie for the lead. He made bogeys at Nos. 11 and 15 on the back nine and came home in 1-over 37. He sits T-2 and seven back. He’ll play in the second-to-last group on Friday.
Collin Morikawa looks over his putt on the 18th green during the first round of the 2024 Tour Championship. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Collin Morikawa was over 1-over par at the turn when he gave himself a little pep talk.
“I told myself to start only thinking about my shot and not worrying about if the ball is going to be perfect or not. We executed some shots, made some putts,” he said.
Did he ever. He reeled off six consecutive birdies starting at 10, tying the longest birdie streak of his career and setting the longest birdie streak in Tour Championship history, and shot 66 to improve to 9 under.
Collin Morikawa has made six consecutive birdies in the first round of the TOUR Championship (Nos. 10-15), tying the longest birdie streak of his PGA TOUR career (R1/2023 Sentry).
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 29, 2024
“I wish it would have started on hole 1, but it’s going to be a good reminder going into the next three days that I’ve just got to see my shot and execute,” he said. “I was just thinking a little bit too much.”
The 18th hole for the 2024 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
It was the first day for the pros to take on Andrew Green’s restoration of East Lake and the early reviews have been pretty good, especially from Rory McIlroy.
“I love the restoration. I love the golf course. It’s probably six months away from being perfect just because of the firmness of the greens,” McIlroy said. “But I’ve always liked Andrew Green’s work. I like what he did at Congressional, I like what he did at Oak Hill. I like some of the other things I haven’t been there physically but I’ve seen.”
Adam Scott on the 18th tee during the first round of the 2024 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
East Lake presumably was made tougher but not on Thursday. Birdies were made in bunches, including by Sahith Theegala, who stormed home with five circles on the card in his final six holes to shoot 67. Collin Morikawa did one better, reeling off six birdies in a row to start the back nine, his longest string as a pro, and shot 66 to improve to 9 under.
Adam Scott, who finished second last week to advance to the FedEx Cup finale, picked up where he left off and recorded his eighth consecutive first round under par, shooting 5-under 66, and expressed his surprise at the low scoring.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I thought it was definitely playing tougher. I don’t know if they were the easy pins they just warmed us up with today or what. I didn’t think there would be so many mid-60s scores.”
“I think they did a good job with how the greens are to put some relatively benign pins just because the greens are so firm,” said Wyndham Clark, who started slowly and was 2-over through his first five holes before making an eagle and six birdies in his round of 67.
Justin Thomas, who started the day 10 back, carded seven birdies including at his final two holes, to shoot 5-under 66.
“I don’t know if they just put a lot of water on them or what,” Thomas said. “They definitely were holding better than I thought.”
