Woods, Fowler tied for top at 65
Tiger Woods made an eagle putt from just over 25 feet on the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 65 and a share of the lead Thursday with Rickie Fowler at the Tour Championship.
ATLANTA — The crowd at East Lake was larger and louder than it has been in five years, which was the last time Tiger Woods was at the Tour Championship. It was no coincidence. Woods played one of his best rounds of the year in his return to the FedEx Cup finale and caused the biggest cheer of a sun-baked Thursday afternoon by making an eagle putt from just over 25 feet on the par-5 18th for a 5-under 65 and a share of the lead with Rickie Fowler.
It was the second time in as many FedEx Cup playoff events that Woods was tied for the 18-hole lead. He shot a 62 at Aronimink in the opening round of the BMW Championship two weeks ago on a rain-soaked course that allowed just about everyone to go low.
This felt even better on a dry and tougher East Lake course.
“This was by far better than the 62 at Aronimink,” Woods said. “Conditions were soft there. This, it’s hard to get the ball closer. If you drive the ball in the rough, you know you can’t get the ball close. You just can’t control it.”
Fowler, who missed two playoff events recovering from an injury to his right oblique, putted for birdie on all but two holes for his 65 as he tries to avoid ending the season without winning.
Justin Rose, in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world, got up-and-down from the bunker for birdie on the 18th for a 66 and was tied with Gary Woodland.
Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau, all of whom will be in France next week for the Ryder Cup, were another shot behind.
Woods already considers this a successful year just by making into the 30-man field at East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale, where everyone has a mathematical shot at capturing the $10 million bonus.
He started the season in January after a fourth back surgery that limited him to only 16 PGA Tour events in the previous four seasons.
“To be able to play golf again and to earn my way back to this level is something that I was hoping I would do at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t know,” Woods said. “And I’ve done it.”
What would winning mean in this comeback?
“It would enhance the year,” he said.
Woods still has 54 holes remaining. Two weeks ago, he went from a share of the first-round lead to five shots behind on a course where attacking flags on soft greens was the only option for low scoring.
This was more about precision, and Woods felt in total control.
He opened with a threeputt bogey from 25 feet, and he twice ran birdie attempts farther beyond the hole than he would have liked.
But after making birdie putts from 25 feet on No. 5 and from 15 feet on No. 6, he figured out the speed of the greens and was on his way.
“I hit so many quality shots all day, whether it was tee-togreen or it was putts,” Woods said. “I didn’t really mishit a single shot today. The only shot I can honestly say that I necked pretty bad was the tee shot at 17. Hit a 3-wood there, and with an iron, I probably would have shanked it. But ended up in the fairway and made par.”
Woods will play in the final group today with Fowler, who has seen plenty of him at home in Florida in the months before Woods returned to golf. He had finished his round and was doing interviews when he heard the head-turning roar of Woods making eagle.
They will be teammates next week at the Ryder Cup. Fowler has other objectives at East Lake.
“The biggest win for him is just staying healthy and being out here all year consistently,” Fowler said. “Definitely happy for him. It’s obviously great for our sport. It’s great to have him as part of the team next week. We hope he continues to play well. I just want to play a little bit better and beat him.”
Sixteen players in the 30-man field broke par on a hot afternoon with only a light breeze, and Thursday was all about staying in the game, especially as it relates to the chase for the FedEx Cup.
Bryson DeChambeau, the No. 1 seed after the points were reset, had to birdie two of the last three holes for a 71. For someone like Woods or Fowler to win the FedEx Cup, they would need the top five seeds to falter.
Rose and Thomas didn’t go along with that with strong opening rounds. Finau overcame a pair of early bogeys for his 67.
The key for Woods could be today. Only once this year, at the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, has he stayed consistently in the thick of it all tournament. He figures to have plenty of support. Houses along the side streets outside East Lake, and even one funeral home, offered parking and their yards were packed. It hasn’t been like that in several years.
“I hadn’t played this tournament in five years, and some of the people said they haven’t been out here in five years,” Woods said. “That’s kind of nice that they’re coming out and supporting this event and supporting me, as well.”
Garcia at 66
VILAMOURA, Portugal — Sergio Garcia shot a 5-under 66 and was three strokes off the first-round lead at the Portugal Masters on Thursday as the Spanish golfer looked to find some form in his final event before next week’s Ryder Cup.
He is one of four wild-card selections by European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn, who kept faith with the 2017 Masters champion despite Garcia only having one top-10 finish since April.
Lucas Herbert of Australia led the way at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course with a bogey-free 63.
Herbert was one stroke ahead of English pair Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace and Shane Lowry of Ireland, and two in front of Haotong Li of China.
Web.com Tour
ATLANTIC BEACH — Chris Paisley birdied four of the last five holes for a 10-under 61 and the firstround lead Thursday in the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship.
The South African Open winner in January for his first European Tour title, Paisley played the back nine first at Atlantic Beach Country Club, holing a bunker shot for an eagle on the par-5 18th. On the front nine, he birdied the par-3 fifth and finished with three straight birdies.