ATLANTA – Scottie Scheffler cautioned reporters to place an asterisk adjoining his lead after Day 1 on the Tour Championship — a seven-stroke benefit partially because of his starting-strokes complete on the finale — however there may be nothing parenthetical about how he hopes to place an exclamation level on an already historic season.
Following a bogey on the first gap for the second time in three days, Scheffler was quintessential Scheffler with six birdies over his closing 17 holes for a 5-under 66 and a five-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa with one spherical remaining within the 2024 FedExCup season.
There’s nothing stunning about Scheffler’s path to the highest of the season-ending leaderboard. He’s second in strokes gained: off the tee, second in strokes gained: tee to inexperienced and second in driving distance. That he’s additionally second in strokes gained: placing is sufficient to pull all of the air from the East Lake locker room.
Tee occasions have been moved up for Sunday on the PGA Tour FedExCup season finale.
Trailing by 5 strokes, or extra, is difficult sufficient at golf’s highest degree, however to identify the sport’s undisputed greatest participant that type of lead can understandably really feel insurmountable.
“I have to make loads of birdies. He’s one of the best golfer on the planet. He’s actually good with leads,” figured Sam Burns, who’s a dozen pictures behind Scheffler. “It’s not an incredible factor for us.”
Lengthy-time Tour Championship observers will level out that Scheffler had a equally commanding lead heading into the ultimate flip on the 2022 finale solely to squander that benefit with a closing 73 to complete tied for second place. However this isn’t that Scottie.
“It’s actually as much as him, to be trustworthy. I’ve to play out of my ‘beep’ to smell [the lead],” mentioned Xander Schauffele, who started the week two pictures behind Scheffler within the starting-strokes format and is now 10 pictures again.
An optimist would level out Scheffler has closed out 7-of-13 54-hole leads in his Tour profession however that conveniently skips previous the extra related statistic that he’s 4-for-5 this season with 54-hole benefits.
In signature Scottie fashion, he had no real interest in wanting again to that ’22 finale or any of his different data at East Lake. As a substitute, he leaned into the clichés which have served him so nicely.
“Preserve doing what I’ve been doing, staying within the second, staying affected person on the market,” Scheffler mentioned when requested what he wanted to do on Sunday to recover from the Tour Championship hump. “I really feel like I’ve finished loads of stuff nicely and performed stable, so I’m wanting ahead to the problem of making an attempt to complete off the event tomorrow and persevering with to try this.”
Right here’s a take a look at how gamers are faring within the Tour Championship, minus the “beginning strokes.”
Morikawa is greatest positioned to catch Scheffler and social media was fast to level out that with out Scheffler’s starting-strokes benefit, Morikawa could be main by a stroke — however that peace of thoughts received’t make Sunday any simpler.
“I imply, it’s going to be very arduous, however I consider in myself that I can do it. 5 pictures is lots, however two-shot swings occur. I believe I’ve seen a pair over the previous few days,” Morikawa mentioned. “I’ve simply bought to play my sport. I’ve bought to go low. I do know that. Hopefully I’ve bought that in me right this moment. I’ve bought 18 holes left to the season. I hold speaking about that, however I’m going to place all the pieces I’ve into these subsequent 24 hours.”
Some gamers opined the previous few weeks that Scheffler — together with his six Tour victories that embrace a serious (Masters), The Gamers Championship and, moreover, an Olympic gold medal – was already adequate to say the circuit’s Participant of the 12 months award, however within the profession scorecard it may be Schauffele, with two majors, who had the higher season.
A FedExCup title, which might be the world No. 1’s first, and $25 million in disposable earnings, most likely doesn’t change that math however it actually would take away even a touch of ambiguity from the room that Scheffler is in a category by himself.
