Golf

McIlroy finds groove in Atlanta while Stenson forges ahead

Four-time Major winner tied for third after first round while Swede takes two-stroke lead

Rory McIlroy sits four under par after the opening round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Photograph: Getty
Rory McIlroy sits four under par after the opening round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Photograph: Getty
Thu Sept 24 2015 - 22:48

Apparently, it's not about the money any more, not as far as Rory McIlroy is concerned. "Luckily, that amount of money doesn't sort of mean much to me anymore," the Northern Irishman had remarked prior to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, the final event of the FedEx Cup series on the PGA Tour which offers a $10million bonus to the ultimate winner.

Still, McIlroy demonstrated that his hunger for titles, rather than the greenbacks on offer, remains as strong as ever. As Henrik Stenson – who became the first European to scoop the FedEx Cup jackpot in 2013–- again showed his liking for the course in going out in just 29 strokes en route to claiming the first round lead, McIlroy hung tough to shoot an opening 66, four-under-par, to get himself into contention.

“I feel like I am swinging well . . . I’m hitting the ball well and I am going to have to continue to do that over the week to have a chance,” said McIlroy.

Looking for his first win since the Wells Fargo back in May, McIlroy – “It hasn’t been the season that I would have hoped for,” he admitted ahead of the tournament – had six birdies and two bogeys in his round.

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Recovered

He recovered from a bogey on the fourth with a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh to turn in 33. He then birdied the 11th and recovered from a bogey on the 12th with a birdie from 12 feet on the 14th and put his 147 yards approach with a nine-iron to the 17th within to a matter of inches for a tap-in birdie.

The elite field of 30 players who made it to Atlanta for the season's finale was reduced by the withdrawal of Jim Furyk due to a wrist injury and mid-round by Louis Oosthuizen, suffering from a hamstring strain.

And new world number one Jason Day – winner of five tournaments this season, most recently last week's BMW Championship – started off with three straight birdies, including a hole-out from 40 yards on the first, only to show he was mortal when suffering a triple-bogey seven on the fifth where he drove out of bounds.

McIlroy, for his part, is intent on focusing on the trophy as tournament winner and the accolade of being a FedEx Cup champion rather than the actual huge prizemoney on offer.

Exciting

As he put it, “(The FedEx Cup is) one of the only things that I haven’t put on my golf CV and that would be more exciting to do that rather than walk away with a cheque.”

Stenson, seeking to win a second FedEx Cup in three years, started off with three successive birdies, added another on the sixth and then eagled the ninth to take a grip on matters to turn in 29. The Swede added further birdies on the 10th and 12th to move to eight-under, which he remained through 15 holes.

A bogey on the 17th stalled the Swede’s progress, but he recovered on the last to sign for an impressive 63 and a two-stroke lead.

Englishman Paul Casey continued his good form with an opening 65, five-under.

Oosthuizen withdrew from the elite event after 13 holes and was concerned about his readiness for the upcoming Presidents Cup. The 2010 British Open champion said the injury casts some doubt over his plans to compete at the Dunhill Links on the European Tour in Scotland next week.