Tiger Woods eagles the last to share lead at Tour Championship
As if the hype was not being built enthusiastically enough for next week’s Ryder Cup, to see Tiger Woods eagling his way into the lead here on Thursday only served to ramp up the anticipation yet further.
This was so reminiscent of the Woods of old, watching him making a three up the par-five 18th and hearing the crowd roar in approval. On five under after the first-round 65 of the Tour Championship, the 14-time major-winner is alongside Rickie Fowler, another star in the US team who will descend on Paris looking for their first victory on European soil in 25 years.
And even though England’s Justin Rose – the world No 1 who is one behind – is projected to top the FedEx Cup standings and scoop the $10 million (£7.5 million), it is hard to quantify how highly the “U.S.A, U.S.A” confidence would soar if Woods could finally end his five-year winning drought on the eve of the biennial dust-up.
The 20-footer on the last was the obvious highlight, but there were five birdies in an excellent ball-striking display as he “beat” his playing partner, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, by four strokes. Woods classed this round at a different level than the 62 he compiled in Philadelphia two weeks ago. “This was by far better than that 62,” he said. “I hit so many quality shots all day, whether it was tee to green or it was putts. I didn’t really mis-hit a single shot. I felt in control.”
With the win, Woods would have a chance also to land the $10 million bonus awarded to the player who heads the standings, even though he is down in 20th on the FedEx list. But Rose is one who would have to fall away and his birdie-birdie finish yelled of a player who has come runner-up in the last two play-offs events and is in rich form.
His 66 happened to be six better than Bryson DeChambeau, the 24-year-old FedEx leader. Gary Woodland is on the same mark as Rose. Rory McIlroy is one further back after an afternoon featuring seven birdies but two bogeys and a double-bogey as well, with Justin Thomas and Tony Finau also on three under.
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia shot an opening 66 at the Portugal Masters, the Spaniard’s first round since being handed a wild card. Garcia carded seven birdies and two bogeys to stand two off the lead held by Australian Lucas Herbert, with Englishmen Matt Wallace and Eddie Pepperell second on six under.
