Russell Henley was nearly flawless on the greens, while Scottie Scheffler’s accuracy off the tee was almost perfect as they led a strong field taking advantage of soft conditions at East Lake Golf Club to kick off the TOUR Championship and the race for the FedExCup title.
Henley finished with an incredible 9-under 61, one-putting six of his last seven holes and sinking three birdie putts from 40 feet or more. He capped off his round with three consecutive birdies to build a two-shot lead over World No. 1 Scheffler.
Scheffler, who hasn’t missed a beat over the past five months, posted a bogey-free 7-under 63 — his lowest round at East Lake in six appearances. His round featured clutch shots including a 25-foot par save on the 16th and two late birdies. The drama peaked on the par-5 18th when Rory McIlroy bladed a bunker shot over the green, which ricocheted off grandstands and back onto the green, leading to an improbable 18-foot birdie putt.
Moments after Scheffler drained a 4-foot birdie putt, play was suspended due to approaching storms that forced an evacuation of East Lake.
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The leaderboard was awash in red numbers with only two players finishing over par. Thanks to heavy rain earlier in the week and after the first round, players were allowed to lift, clean, and place their balls on the soft, short grass — a factor Henley said made the course “a little more gettable.”
Henley holed an astonishing 207 feet of putts in the round — likely the most he’s ever made — showcasing why he’s renowned for his putting prowess.
Several players who are in the mix for Ryder Cup spots, including Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Patrick Cantlay, all shot 64 but finished outside the top six who automatically qualified. All three remain strong candidates for captain’s picks.
Morikawa said, “I hope I’ve done enough… my focus right now is to try and go out and win this golf tournament.”
Coming off his fifth win of the season at last week’s BMW Championship, Scheffler was steady despite swirling winds making wedge shots more challenging. He missed just one fairway, at the crucial 16th hole, where a misstep landed him in a tricky spot right of the fairway. Luckily, he managed to get up and down, holing a long putt to save par.
“It’s pretty important around this place,” Scheffler said, emphasizing the need to keep the ball in play at East Lake.
Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre both carded 66s. MacIntyre, fresh off a runner-up finish to Scheffler at the BMW Championship, joked about his sun protection routine amid the hot weather, saying he looks like “Casper the Ghost” from all the suncream.
MacIntyre also reflected on how he lost a four-shot lead to Scheffler last week and dealt with an intense pro-American crowd. He’s using that experience as motivation for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
“There’s a couple of things I’m going to change,” MacIntyre said. “I’m always going to be fiery… but I want to interact with the crowd differently next time.”
