WILMINGTON, Del. — Keegan Bradley hasnt been to the FedEx Cup finale in 4 years, and he began the BMW Championship on Thursday like he was in a rush to get again.
Bradley matched a profession low with a 29 on the entrance 9 at Wilmington Nation Membership and completed with a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Adam Scott.
Bradley is at No. 44 within the FedEx Cup standings and certain wants a prime 10 — he hasnt had one for the reason that U.S. Open — to be among the many 30 gamers who advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta to chase the $18 million prize.
He is not prepared to contemplate the situations till it issues, which is Sunday. Till then, it is all about making an attempt to win a match, similar to any week.
My plan is I will go dwelling and see my youngsters it doesnt matter what on Sunday night time, Bradley mentioned. I might like to go to Atlanta. That is everybodys purpose to start out the yr.
Scott began the postseason at No. 77 and tied for fifth within the playoff opener final week simply to make it to the second stage. Now he is at No. 45, giving him an opportunity. It additionally meant being paired with Bradley, they usually placed on fairly a present. They mixed for 15 birdies.
He performed superbly as we speak, and I used to be actually simply making an attempt to observe his lead, Scott mentioned. He form of had every thing going the best way he needed, and more often than not he was teeing off first and I used to be simply making an attempt to observe.
PGA champion Justin Thomas put a unique putter within the bag and responded with a 66 to depart him within the group with former British Open champion Shane Lowry and Harold Varner III.
Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa led the group at 67.
Rory McIlroy was the one participant from the afternoon who seemed to problem Bradley, and he was doing simply that at 6 underneath with 4 holes to play. However then he was between golf equipment on the par-3 fifteenth, tried to hit a mushy reduce with a 5-iron and put his tee shot into he water. He took three putts from simply wanting the inexperienced, lacking a 3-footer, and made triple bogey.
McIlroy was within the group at 68 that included Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay, who gained the BMW Championship final yr an hour down the street at Caves Valley on his option to capturing the FedEx Cup.
McIlroy was capable of settle for one dangerous swing that price him three pictures, particularly having missed the reduce final week within the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
General the remainder of it was fairly good, he mentioned. I knew as soon as I received right here final weekend, I knew it was a golf course that was going to swimsuit me higher than final week. … Happy with my recreation. Disillusioned with how I completed, however inspired with the remainder of it.
The course is new to everybody — Delaware has by no means hosted a PGA Tour occasion — although Bradley has motive to really feel proper at dwelling. He gained the BMW Championship in 2018 some 20 miles away at Aronimink when he was No. 52 within the FedEx Cup, sending him to Atlanta.
The programs are nothing alike. If something, Wilmington reminds a number of gamers of a huge brother to Caves Valley, about the identical size (7,534 yards) besides taking part in to a par 71.
Discover the green, fireplace on the flag. Miss the green, and it is all about making an attempt to get into place. It would not all the time work out that means, and Schauffele is grateful for that.
He pulled his tee shot to this point left on the par-5 14th that he was in shaggy floor simply in entrance of No. 3. He might see a portion of the inexperienced between a tv tower, some video tools and the timber. Schauffele received line-of-sight aid, and his drop occurred to be on one of many ahead tees. He belted a 3-wood onto the inexperienced for birdie.
Will Zalatoris gained his first PGA Tour title final week at a great time, transferring to the highest of the FedEx Cup standings. Three holes into the BMW Championship, he went bunker to tough to bunker after which three-putted for a double bogey.
He rallied with 4 birdies on the again and escaped with a 70. Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 participant on the earth coming off a missed reduce, nonetheless felt scrappy however holed sufficient putts for a 69.