by More drama Rory McILroy in Georgia. The events in the last hole in the first round of the Tour championship barely compared to what happened in Augusta National in April, but these are still moments of the McILroy box office. No wonder he laughed with an arm in the air.
McILroy found himself in a Greenside bunker in two in the 18th by five. He caught his attempt at the sand trap far too cleanly, the balloon survived the flag and bouncing with a platform. The rebound was favorable; McILroy had 17 feet to play for a birdie. The putt found the bottom of the cup, to the great fun of Mcilroy and his game partner Scottie Scheffler. The 66 from McILroy to East Lake left him five shy from the head of the first round after the superb 61 of Russell Henley.
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It was a great day for Keegan Bradley, if he was not in the middle of the most difficult choice of his professional career. Henley will play under Bradley for the United States in the Ryder Cup next month. Scheffler continued his excellent form with a 63, including half a back of only 31. The 64s of Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas were remarkable with this trio likely to receive the choices of Captain de Bradley. The key dilemma surrounds if Bradley will also select himself, becoming the first captain to play in a Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Bradley’s 70 here barely added to the conversation. The 39 -year -old man did not drag for the tasks of the media. According to this debate, what the peers of Bradley will tell him to do. The mood music suggests that they want Bradley in this team. “Yes, I would do it,” said Thomas when he was asked if he would choose Bradley. “It’s a lot [to handle both jobs]. I think Keegan would say the same thing. I don’t think he would say it’s easy by all means. But myself, whatever the others [vice-]Captains, automatic qualifications have all the faith in the world that everything he decides to do is in the best interest of the team. »»
Morikawa underlined the delicate of the scenario: “I think he has one of the most difficult decisions that we have ever had to make. He took more hours that we could not even ask and know in this Ryder Cup and he has always played a big golf course. He is one of the best Americans at the moment. But I really don’t know where his head is and I don’t want to be in this position.
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“If you lose, all the reasons will appear. At the end of the day, we lost in Rome because we played bad golf and they played a big golf course. This is what it comes back.”
There are European colors in the ranking. On what was a benign day of Atlanta, with favorite lies authorized, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert Macintyre joined the 64 club. Ludvig Åberg signed for a 66.
“I think the course was as forgiving as we will get it,” said Fleetwood. “But in fact, the biggest point to remember is how good everyone is in the golf that is here. I think the scoring is incredible. I am sure that we could talk about the fact that we had soft conditions and that they were receptive, but you must always play and you must always hit the blows.”
It was announced on the eve of this tournament that Cantlay would be among the players of a new committee aimed at reshaping the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods will chair the group. “Tiger asked me to be part of the committee, so I said yes,” said Cantlay when he asked his reasoning to be involved. With information like this, which could go wrong.
