Tour Championship 2025 highlights: Russell Henley fires a stunning 9-under 61 at East Lake, taking a two-shot lead over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
– Henley’s exceptional putting performance: six one-putts down the stretch.
– Scheffler’s steady play and key birdies in soft conditions.
– Rory McIlroy’s incredible bunker shot and unlikely birdie on 18.
– Impact on the FedEx Cup race and the $40 million purse showdown.
– Course conditions: lift, clean & place rules and storm interruptions.
Dive into expert analysis, round breakdowns, and player strategies from the season finale.
What happens when immaculate putting meets relentless accuracy off the tea? You get a leaderboard that’s sizzling with low numbers and a tour championship opener that has everyone talking. If you think you’ve seen wild rounds at East Lake before, this one took things to an entirely new level. But here’s where the debates begin. With the course softened by rain, did players have it too easy, or did we simply witness golfing excellence at its peak? Thursday at East Lake Golf Club saw Russell Henley nearly flawless on the greens and Scotty Sheoffller barely missing a single fairway. Thanks to a rain soaked course that allowed players to lift, clean, and place their balls, birdies came in bunches, and competitors eagerly capitalized, kickstarting the fight for the prestigious FedEx Cup with fireworks. Henley put on a putting master class, sinking six clutch one putts over his final seven holes, including three monster birdies from over 40 ft, gapping his round with three consecutive birdies. He carded a blistering nine under 61, earning a twoshot lead over world number one Scotty Sheffller. But Sheffller, fresh off his fifth win of the season at the BMW Championship, proved as steady as ever. He saved par with a 25- foot putt on the 16th, followed by two birdies, finishing with a 63, his best score yet at this championship. For context, that’s two strokes better than his previous lowest round at East Lake. And this is the part most fans miss. It wasn’t just a battle of birdies at the top. Wor Mroy added entertainment galore when his bunker shot on the closing par five skipped clear over the green, ricocheted off the grandstands, and somehow returned to the putting surface. He then calmly drained an 18-footer, snatching one of the unlikeliest birdies you’ll ever see. The crowd loved it, but the weather had other plans. When Sheffler rolled in his own 4-foot birdie, tournament officials stopped play due to approaching storms, evacuating the course. Let’s talk stakes. With $40 million in prize money awaiting the top 30 players, every shot is magnified. Opportunity beckoned. Out of the entire field, only two players ended the day overpar. But what about the fairness of the conditions? Heavy rain both Wednesday and after the first round left East Lake lush and receptive, permitting the favored lift clean and place rule. Henley, whose putting prowess is already wellknown, took full advantage, sinking a staggering 207 ft of putts in total and finishing first in strokes gained with his putter. Even if his drives were shorter than anyone else in the field, it wasn’t just Henley and Sheffller prospering. A pack of five, including Justin Thomas, Colin Morakawa, and Patrick Canle, finished one shot behind Sheffller with rounds of 64. Here’s a critical twist. Despite their impressive play, all three had fallen short of earning automatic Rder Cup spots. Now, they face the nerve-wracking wait for potential captain’s picks. “You’re never comfortable until you get that call,” Morawa admitted, summing up the anxiety shared across the contenders. Sheffller, meanwhile, encountered only minor turbulence, blustery winds ahead of the storm, and a stumble on the 16th fairway. His only real misstep, wanding right of the fairway into thick grass, proved costly. I knew right of 16 was trouble, something we talked about during practice, Sheffller explained. Just getting the ball back on the green was a win there. Among others making noise, Tommy Fleetwood once again put himself in the mix, hoping to finally notch a PGA Tour victory, while Robert McIntyre, coming off a near miss at the BMW Championship, was seen slathering on sunscreen and keeping his spirits up, even joking about looking like Casper the Ghost. After crowd troubles rattled him last week, McIntyre viewed the experience as preparation for next month’s RDER Cup at the notoriously rowdy Beth Paige Black. There are a few things I’ll do differently, he said. But I know this will help me there. A tournament record seven players shot 64 or better, raising the question, was this simply a showcase of elite skills, or did mother nature make the tour championship too forgiving? So, where do you stand? Should the weather’s impact and the ability to lift, clean, and place be considered a leveler, or does it tip the scales toward record scoring? Is Henley’s putting brilliance more impressive than Sheffller’s incredible consistency off the tea? And which Rder Cup hopeful will get the nod? We want to hear your takes. Sound off below if you agree, disagree, or have your own angle.
