Scottie Scheffler was surprisingly delighted after watching Rory McIlroy sink a bizarre birdie at the Tour Championship.
Both stars were in action in the first round of the PGA Tour’s season finale in Atlanta on Thursday, with Scheffler impressing after shooting a seven-under 63 to put him second in the standings.
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Rory McIlroy ended his first round at the Tour Championship with his fourth birdie of the dayCredit: Getty
McIlroy also placed himself in contention after a solid start at East Lake Golf Club, ranking T8 with a round of four-under-par on 66.
And while the Masters champion was upstaged by his US rival on the leaderboard, he still managed to steal the show in other ways.
In the final hole of the first round, McIlroy found himself in a tricky position, as he faced a green-side bunker shot to set up a birdie.
But any hope of improving his final score looked to be lost, when he massively overhit his effort, as it sailed beyond the green and into the grandstand behind it.
However, in a huge stroke of fortune, McIlroy’s shot then rebounded off the seating area and back down towards the hole.
This left the 36-year-old with a putt within striking distance of the hole, which he duly converted for an improbable birdie.
McIlroy wore a wry smile and raised his fist to the air after finishing on four-under, while Scheffler, who was also putting on the green could be seen grinning at his competitor’s huge slice of luck.
And the world no.1 later revealed he had been rooting for McIlroy to make a birdie, despite the $10million bonus on the line for this week’s winner, with a PGA official set to sound the weather-warning.
Scheffler told Golf Channel: “I have never rooted so hard for somebody’s ball to come back, outside of my partner in a team event.
“Because we’re walking to 18 and Bones [Golf Channel announcer Jim Mackay] told us they were going to blow at any second, so I’m watching his ball fly towards the grandstand.
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McIlroy lined up the green with a tricky bunker shotCredit: Sky Sports
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But his shot sailed way beyond the green, before ricocheting off the grandstand and back towards the holeCredit: Sky Sports
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The ball rolled all the way onto the green, leaving McIlroy a make-able puttCredit: Sky Sports
“I’m like: ‘Oh, my gosh, we’ve got no way of finishing this thing’, so I was relieved when I saw it come back on the green.“
And McIlroy later admitted he had benefited hugely from his fortuitous shot, which allowed him to roll in his birdie putt before officials ushered the players inside due to incoming heavy rain.
He said: “Yeah, pretty lucky in the end.
“I think as well, if it hadn’t have come down and we had to drop, we mightn’t have got finished, so lucky in a lot of different ways, lucky for the score and lucky we got done.
“I feel like I played well enough to shoot four-under, if not better, so it was a nice and lucky way to finish.”
Both McIlroy and Scheffler will be hoping to build on their strong starts on day two of the Tour Championship.
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Scheffler looked on and smiled as McIlroy putted for birdieCredit: Sky Sports
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He later embraced the Northern Irishman with a huge grin on his faceCredit: Getty
The event is the last of the PGA Tour season, with the winner banking a staggering a $10m, while the best of the rest share the remainder of the $40m prize pot.
The winner will also receive the FedEx Cup, the trophy for the PGA Tour season as a whole.
Scheffler will be hoping to gain ground on current leader Russell Henley, who sits on nine-under, as he bids to defend his 2024 FedEx Cup title.
Meanwhile, McIlroy is targeting a record-extending fourth win at the Tour Championship, with his last victory coming in 2022.
