Scottie Scheffler Makes Major Stride Toward $25 Million FedEx Cup Prize

Scottie Scheffler kicked off the Tour Championship with a commanding two-shot lead, showcasing his exceptional performance throughout the season. On Thursday, he lived up to the expectations by carding a remarkable 6-under 65, which propelled him to a staggering seven-shot lead, positioning him closer to the coveted FedEx Cup title.

During the sweltering afternoon at the revamped East Lake Golf Club, Scheffler’s game shone through as he achieved five birdies over the final seven holes. His round culminated in a birdie from a bunker at the par-5 18th hole, where he sank an 8-foot putt. This performance etched his name into the PGA Tour record books, as no player has ever led by seven shots after the first 18 holes in the records available.

However, the historical record comes with an asterisk, as it is only one shot more than Collin Morikawa and four others, who all posted rounds of 66.

The FedEx Cup finale has been utilizing a “starting strokes” format for six years now. As the No. 1 seed due to his six victories on the PGA Tour, including prestigious wins at the Masters and The Players Championship, Scheffler began the tournament at 10-under par, holding a two-shot advantage over second-seed Xander Schauffele.

This year marks the third consecutive time Scheffler has started the Championship in the lead. Despite his impressive performances, he has yet to secure the FedEx Cup and the accompanying $25 million bonus. However, winning was not at the forefront of his mind during the opener.

“I wasn’t thinking about the lead out there today. There’s no reason to. It’s the first day of the tournament. It’s 72 holes,” Scheffler stated. He emphasized the importance of staying focused and executing his shots rather than concentrating on his lead.

He was quickly reminded that even a two-shot lead can vanish rapidly, as Schauffele closed the gap with an 8-foot birdie right off the opening hole. In contrast, Scheffler made a rare mistake, resulting in his lone bogey after struggling to play from behind a tree.

After making a 35-foot birdie putt at No. 7, Scheffler regained a narrow lead by the turn. He then accelerated ahead as Schauffele struggled with his shots, missing crucial opportunities for birdies.

“I think I scored OK actually for how bad I hit it,” reflected Schauffele. He expressed mixed feelings about his performance, noting it wasn’t his best but also not terrible. Frustrated with missing fairways, he left the course for the range to practice after his round.

The disparity between the two leading players was evident; Scheffler was consistently in control from the fairway, while Schauffele faced difficulties playing out of the rough.

“Scottie was almost in every fairway, it looked like,” Schauffele remarked. He recognized the challenge of competing against an opponent who was delivering such precise shots.

Scheffler showcased incredible accuracy, only missing two greens throughout his round and managing to putt for birdie on his last 14 holes. He finished the day at 16-under par, illustrating his dominant performance.

However, the race for the $25 million bonus is still very much alive, as evidenced by Scheffler’s own past challenges. Last year, he led by five shots after the opening round and entered the final round with a six-shot lead, only to be overtaken by Rory McIlroy.

Since the starting strokes format was introduced in 2019, only one other top seed has led after the first day: Patrick Cantlay, who held a two-shot lead and went on to clinch the FedEx Cup.

Morikawa is well-known for making impressive comebacks, having previously eroded a nine-shot deficit in one round. On Thursday, he picked up six straight birdies on the back nine to finish with a 66, which ensures he will be in the final group with Scheffler for the second round.

Both Morikawa and Schauffele were at 9-under par, with a host of players—including Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, and Keegan Bradley—just behind them. Despite significant changes to East Lake’s layout, good scoring was not prevalent, with only one player finishing over par.

Schauffele managed to maintain an impressive streak at East Lake, scoring under par for the 26th time in 29 rounds, but it wasn’t sufficient to keep pace with Scheffler’s remarkable showing.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will remain on Scheffler and his pursuit of the FedEx Cup.

Source: AP