Thomas tied for lead as $10M comes into view
ATLANTA — With two swings, Justin Thomas showed that every shot counts in the FedEx Cup, even at the season-ending Tour Championship.
Thomas had six players ahead of him Friday when he smashed a 335-yard drive down the bottom of the hill on the par-5 18th hole at East Lake, and then a 5-iron that settled 6 feet below the cup for a closing eagle.
Just like that, Thomas had a 4-under 66 and a share of the lead with Paul Casey and Webb Simpson and was back in control — a loose term the way this tournament is shaping up going into the week — of his chase for the $10 million bonus.
“It’s nice to have everything in my own hands and know that if I just take care of what I need to do, then it’s over,” Thomas said.
It’s not over yet, not even close. Casey stumbled with some errant tee shots into the troublesome rough for back-to-back bogeys in a 67 that slowed his momentum. Simpson paid for a wild drive on No. 13 with a double bogey and made nothing pars coming in for a 67.
They joined Thomas at 7-under 133. As one of the top five seeds, Thomas only has to win the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup. Even a third-place finish might be enough to take home golf’s richest bonus depending on who wins.
But that list is plenty deep after two sweltering days at East Lake.
Jon Rahm, the No. 5 seed who also has a clear path to the top prize, played bogey-free for a 67. He was one shot behind, along with Patrick Reed (65), Justin Rose (66) and Gary Woodland (67), all of them trying to win for the first time this year.
Dustin Johnson, the No. 3 seed, has been sputtering along. He failed to birdie either of the two par 5s, managed only a 69 and still was only four shots behind.
“I just want to get within striking distance,” Johnson said. “If I can get it within three, I would be happy.”
Scott McCarron shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Pure Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, Calif. McCarron had seven birdies and an eagle to go along with a bogey on the par-71 Poppy Hills course. Bernhard Langer was in second, followed Kevin Sutherland another two shots back after a 66. Russ Cochran and Scott Parel were next at 67, joined at 4 under by Jerry Kelly and Scott Dunlap, who shot 68s on the par-72 Pebble Beach course.
Nino Bertasio led the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura, Portugal, after shooting a second consecutive round of 6-under-par 65. The Italian golfer will enter the third round with a one-shot lead over Marc Warren of Scotland (64) and Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark (65). Bertasio hit six birdies on a blemish-free day at Victoria Golf Course. “I’m feeling good,” Bertasio said.
“I had a bogey-free round
and it was very easy golf. I just missed one green and I chipped it to one foot so I never really struggled to make pars.” Joost Luiten (68), who had a share of the lead after the first round, and Jason Scrivener (67) were two strokes behind. Matt Atkins shot a 2-under 68 Friday in Beachwood to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the DAP Championship, the third of four events in the Web.com Tour Finals. Atkins, who shared the firstround lead with Nicholas Lindheim, was even par on the front nine before getting birdies on Nos. 10 and 11. He also birdied No. 16 before a bogey on the par-3 No. 17 put him at 8-under 132. Carlos Ortiz shot a 67 to pull into a tie with Lindheim, who had a 69, at 133.