Min Woo Lee raced into the early lead at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship, carding a bogey-free 62 at East Lake Golf Club with eight birdies. Preferred lies were used due to overnight rain, and none of the 29 players who completed the round failed to break par. Lee holds a two-shot advantage over Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland, and Collin Morikawa.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler posted a birdie-birdie finish to open with a 65, getting within three of the lead. Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia, and Ryan Gerard are tied with Scheffler at five under, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood is one shot behind in a group containing Matt Fitzpatrick and Ryan Fox. Wyndham Clark is five back after a 67, and Rory McIlroy sits tied-20th following an eventful 68 with five birdies and three bogeys.

Lee’s lead came after playing partner JJ Spaun withdrew on the sixth hole due to a shoulder injury, leaving him to play alone. He traded the lead with Hovland early, closed the front nine bogey-free, and extended his advantage with birdies on the 12th and 16th. Hovland bogeyed the 17th but birdied the last to set the clubhouse target, which Lee matched to retain his two-shot cushion.

Lee said it was strange playing alone but helped him maintain pace. Scheffler noted he wasn’t battling for par after the first hole and made key birdies late. McIlroy began his bid for a record-extending fourth FedExCup title with a mixed start.