The opening round of the 2025 Tour Championship brought a marquee pairing as the top two in the FedEx Cup standings, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, went head-to-head in the same group at East Lake. Both stars produced moments of brilliance, but the day’s standout came from McIlroy on the 18th hole, in what became a memorable bounce-back moment.
McIlroy’s grandstand break to finish the round
McIlroy started strong, then surged with an eagle at the par-5 sixth and added a birdie at the seventh. Scheffler settled in quickly, racking up birdies at the second and third to grab early red numbers. Scheffler went bogey-free through his round, reaching the 18th hole at six under while McIlroy stood at three under after a back-nine run that included two bogeys and two birdies.
Both players would birdie 18, but McIlroy’s route to a closing birdie was anything but straightforward. After his tee shot found the left rough, he attempted to reach the green in two but ended up in the front-right greenside bunker. From there, a long bunker shot required a full swing, and McIlroy bladed it, sending the ball well over the green and high into a grandstand behind the putting surface.
What followed was a moment of golf luck that turned into a birdie. The blade bounced off a flat spot on the grandstand, ricocheting back onto the green and finishing a mere 17 feet from the hole. McIlroy calmly rolled in the birdie putt, moving to four under for the tournament.
Scheffler’s reaction to McIlroy’s break
Despite McIlroy being his chief competition for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize, Scheffler actually welcomed the fortunate break for his rival. With the day’s finish looming, the pair had started at 2 p.m. ET, and thunderstorms were forecast to roll through East Lake later on. The expected weather could have caused delays, so Scheffler preferred a clean, efficient finish to ensure they wouldn’t be caught in any foul weather.
Key moments from the round
– McIlroy eagled the par-5 sixth and birdied the seventh to surge to three under on the back nine.
– Scheffler opened with birdies on 2 and 3 and remained bogey-free, ending the round at seven under after birdieing the 18th.
– McIlroy’s dramatic bunker-to-grandstand-to-green recovery produced a 17-foot birdie on the final hole.
– The weather was a looming factor, with potential delays shaping Scheffler’s approach to the back end of the round.
What this means going forward
The opening round reinforced the high-stakes nature of the Tour Championship, where every stroke can impact one of the sport’s richest prizes. The contrast between Scheffler’s steady, bogey-free run and McIlroy’s mix of risk and reward highlighted the fine margins in the FedEx Cup race. As the event moves forward, both players will be smart about managing the scoreboard and the looming weather, keeping the pressure on the field while pursuing a decisive finish.
A hopeful note for fans: the golf on display at East Lake suggests an entertaining weekend ahead, with both players showing the skill and nerve that have defined their rivalry. The dramatic late-birdie moment for McIlroy and Scheffler’s poised start set the stage for what could be a thrilling conclusion to the FedEx Cup season.