| Advertisement |
ATLANTA - The only person who wasn't contemplating a course record at the Tour Championship on Thursday was the guy in a position to do it. Sweden's Henrik Stenson seemed to be on path to match a course record Thursday, but settled for a 7-under 63 to take the first-round lead at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
Advertisement
Stenson was 8-under after a birdie at No. 12 when he began to lose traction. He made four straight pars before making a bogey at the 17th and losing any chance to match the record 60 shot by Zach Johnson in 2007.
"At that stage I was just trying to get up and hit the fairways, give yourself chances, because they're tricky holes," Stenson said. "It's all about just keeping it going."
Stenson hit 11 fairways and 13 greens in regulation. He eagled the par-5 ninth hole to shoot 29 on the front nine, one short of the tournament record held by Tiger Woods.
"I didn't quite hit it as good the last five or six holes as I did for the first 12, but if I could have that (two-shot) spread for the next three days, I think I'll take it," he said.
Stenson holds a two-shot lead over England's Paul Casey, who opened with a 65, and a three-shot advantage over Rory McIlroy and Zach Johnson, who each shot 66.
"The course sets up nicely for me off the tee," Stenson said. "Accuracy is the key around here."
Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, who entered the week first and second on the FedEx Cup points list, posted solid rounds. Day shot a 1-under 69, a round that included a triple bogey, and is tied for 11th. Spieth shot a 2-under 68 and is in a group of six tied for fifth.
"Today was definitely an off day and I was able to get in at 2-under," Spieth said. "This is a round that earlier in the playoffs was a 4-over round. So I really improved the consistency, even on my misses. And that gives me confidence."
Day, who this week became the No. 1-ranked player in the world, said, "I know this course is very difficult. I didn't expect to see Henrik shoot 7-under. But it is Thursday and we still have three more rounds to go and it's a long way to the finish line."
Stenson entered the tournament No. 4 in the FedEx Cup points lists. He has already finished second in two playoff events, the Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, and tied for 10th in last week's BMW Championship. If Stenson wins the Tour Championship, he will also win the FedEx Cup.
Stenson, the 2013 FedEx Cup champion, could also become the second player to win the FedEx Cup without winning an event during the regular season. Bill Haas won the FedEx Cup in 2011 after going winless.
"The course suits me with a lot of mid-iron shots into the greens," said Stenson, who is trying to join Tiger Woods as the only two-time FedEx Cup winners. "It's definitely a ball-striking golf course. And when I'm hitting it nicely, it's always going to work for me. It's always going to suit me."
Casey reaped the rewards of putting a new driver in his bag this week and shot a 5-under. Casey showed no ill effects from the back problems that forced him to withdraw from the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago.
"Ball striking was really good today," Casey said. "I had a lot of treatment since then and worked on the posture, tried to loosen up that back. And this, compared to last week, which wasn't bad ball striking, it's night and day. It feels fantastic."
McIlroy said, "The golf course was sort of as gettable as you could get it today. There wasn't much wind. As long as you put the ball in the fairway today you had great chances to give yourself birdie putts."
NOTES: Louis Oosthuizen withdrew after the 13th hole with a strained hamstring. He started having trouble with the hamstring Sunday, received an hour-long treatment Monday and didn't play Tuesday. He had a cyst drained on his left wrist on Wednesday, but experienced no further issues with his leg until midway through the first round. He was 6-over when he left the course. ... Jim Furyk withdrew from the field because of a bone contusion on his left wrist. Furyk withdrew from last week's BMW Championship and wanted to rehab his injury in time to be ready for the Presidents Cup matches, Oct. 8-11 in Korea. ... With Furyk out of the event, officials called upon former Georgia Tech All-America Ollie Schniederjans to serve as a non-competing marker. Schniederjans was once the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world. He turned professional after the British Open.
