ralia’s Jason Day and Adam Scott are both within striking distance in the season-ending Tour Championship on the PGA Tour at East Lake in Atlanta.
Day is the closest after his opening 67, recorded after his very participation in the tournament was in doubt until earlier in the week because of a back injury. He withdrew from the BMW Championship just last week.
But the Queenslander is just one shot off the leaders, Chris Kirk and Billy Horschel at 66, five-under par. He overcame a drama in the morning when his longtime coach, caddie and mentor, Col Swattan, also broke down with a back injury, leaving Day's mind coach, Jason Goldsmith, to carry his bag.
Kirk and Horschel are already first and second in the Fedex Cup standings, so they have given themselves an excellent chance in the race for the $10 million bonus for winning the season-long points race.
For the 10th-ranked Day to win the Fedex Cup, he needs to not only win the Tour Championship but will rely on the others to fall away. For instance, he needs the No. 1 ranked Kirk to finish no higher than tied-fifth.
Scott had a share of the lead at one point but paid dearly for a poor finish, with bogeys at the last two holes in his one-under 69, although he is just three shots from the lead. John Senden started with a steady 72 and Geoff Ogilvy had a disappointing day, carding a 77.