Mcilroy Provides Thrills But Henley Leads Tour Championship After 61

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More Rory McIlroy play successful ­Georgia. Events astatine nan last spread of nan ­opening information of nan Tour Championship hardly compared pinch what played out at Augusta National successful April but these were still moments of ­McIlroy container office. No wonderment he stood ­laughing pinch limb aloft.

McIlroy recovered himself successful a ­greenside bunker successful 2 astatine nan par-five 18th. He caught his effort from nan soil trap acold excessively cleanly, nan shot ­flying complete nan emblem and rebounding from a grandstand. The bounce was favourable; McIlroy had 17ft near for a birdie. The putt recovered nan bottommost of nan cup, overmuch to nan amusement of McIlroy and his playing partner ­Scottie ­Scheffler. McIlroy’s 66 astatine East Lake leaves him 5 awkward of nan first-round lead aft Russell Henley’s stunning 61.

This was a good time for Keegan ­Bradley, were he not successful nan midst of nan toughest prime of his master career. Henley will play nether ­Bradley for nan United States successful nan Ryder Cup adjacent month. Scheffler continued his fantabulous shape pinch a 63, including a backmost half of conscionable 31. The 64s of ­Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas were notable pinch that trio apt to person captain’s picks from Bradley. The cardinal dilemma surrounds whether Bradley is besides going to prime himself, thereby becoming nan first playing skipper successful a Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer successful 1963.

Bradley’s 70 present hardly added to nan conversation. The 39-year-old did not bent astir for media duties. Significant successful this statement is what Bradley’s peers will show him to do. The temper euphony ­suggests they want Bradley connected this team. “Yeah, I would,” said Thomas erstwhile asked whether he would prime Bradley. “It is simply a batch [to grip some jobs]. I deliberation Keegan would opportunity nan same. I don’t deliberation he would opportunity it’s easy by immoderate means. But myself, immoderate different [vice-]captains, automatic qualifiers person each nan religion successful nan world that immoderate he decides to do is going to beryllium successful nan champion liking of nan team.”

Tommy Fleetwood continuted his bully shape pinch a 64 astatine East Lake to beryllium tied 3rd aft nan first information of nan Tour Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood continuted his bully shape pinch a 64 astatine East Lake to beryllium tied 3rd aft nan first information of nan Tour Championship. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Morikawa outlined nan trickiness of nan scenario: “I deliberation he’s sewage 1 of nan astir difficult decisions ­anyone has ever had to make. He has put much hours than we could moreover inquire and cognize astir into this Ryder Cup and he still has played awesome golf. He is one of nan champion Americans arsenic of right now. But I genuinely do not cognize wherever his caput sits and I don’t want to beryllium successful that position.

“If you lose, each logic is going to travel up. At nan extremity of nan day, we mislaid successful Rome because we played bad play and they played awesome golf. That’s what it comes down to.”

There are European colours connected nan leaderboard. On what was a benign Atlanta day, pinch preferred lies allowed, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre joined nan 64 club. Ludvig Åberg signed for a 66.

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“I deliberation nan people was arsenic forgiving arsenic we’re going to get it,” ­Fleetwood said. “But really ­probably nan ­biggest takeaway is really bully ­everyone is astatine play that’s here. I deliberation nan scoring is unbelievable. I’m judge we could talk astir nan truth that we had soft conditions and they were receptive but you’ve still sewage to play and you’ve still sewage to deed nan shots.”

It was announced connected nan eve of this tourney that Cantlay would beryllium among players connected a caller committee aimed astatine reshaping nan PGA Tour. Tiger Woods will chair nan group. “Tiger asked maine to beryllium connected nan committee, truthful I said yes,” said Cantlay erstwhile asked his reasoning for being involved. With penetration for illustration this, what could spell wrong.

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