Ending birdies 'icing on the cake'

ATLANTA • World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler birdied the last three holes to grab a five-stroke lead after the first round of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta on Thursday.

The American began the day at 10-under with a two-shot edge under a staggered-start scoring system based on season points.

The Masters champion stretched his advantage by firing a five-under 65, which was sparked by birdie putts of just over 14 feet at the 16th, 11 feet at the 17th and a tap-in at the par-five 18th after driving the green in two.

"I felt like I played well all day and I was only two under, so to get those last three birdies at the end was icing on the cake," the 26-year-old said.

"I played pretty solid today and that's always a good way to finish off the round."

Scheffler, who had not won a PGA Tour title when the year began, won four times from February to April, including the Masters for his first Major title.

He would be looking to cap an incredible season by taking the US$18 million (S$25 million) FedExCup play-offs crown.

Compatriot Xander Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, was second on 10-under after shooting a 66 - he began on six-under, four behind the first-round leader.

"It's easy to get ahead of yourself," he said. "It's a stressful place to play if you're not on top of your game. I'm just trying to piece some things together for Sunday."

US Open winner Matthew Fitzpatrick of England was third on nine-under after matching Chile's Joaquin Niemann for the day's low round with a 64.

"Bogey-free rounds are pretty much my favourite," he said.

"A great day. Definitely felt comfortable out there."

Defending FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay last weekend became the first player to retain a FedExCup play-off title by winning his second successive BMW Championship.

He began on eight-under, only two behind Scheffler, and managed a 70 thanks to a 22-foot eagle putt at the 18th to share fourth overall on eight-under with Niemann. The top 30 players in season points qualified for the final play-off showdown.

Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Lee Westwood has taken a swipe at the PGA Tour after it made sweeping changes to counter the breakaway LIV Golf Invitational Series earlier this week.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced that the tour's top golfers had committed to competing against each other more regularly.

The changes require top players, assuming they qualify, to play at least a 20-event schedule comprising the four Majors, The Players Championship, 12 "elevated events" with average purses of US$20 million and at least three other PGA events of their choice.

Monahan said that the changes were inspired by its members, but Westwood, who has been suspended by the PGA Tour after his defection to LIV Golf, took aim at the tour for copying the Saudi-backed circuit's blueprint.

"I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with," the Englishman told Golf Digest.

"It's just a copy of what LIV is doing. There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say LIV is 'not competitive'. They all point at the no-cut aspect of LIV and short fields. Now, funnily enough, they're proposing 20 events that look a lot like LIV... hopefully, they'll be held to account as we were in the early days."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS