Min Woo Lee Fires 62 to Lead Tour Championship as East Lake Yields to All
Min Woo Lee opened the 2026 Tour Championship with an eight-under-par 62, a bogey-free round that gave him a two-stroke lead and tied his best ever score on the PGA Tour.
The Australian, who won last month's Scottish Open, played most of his round at East Lake in Atlanta without a playing partner after JJ Spaun withdrew through injury after four holes. Lee hardly seemed to notice the solitude. He sat two clear of Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup, with world number one Scottie Scheffler a further shot back at five under after a closing birdie on the 18th (BBC Sport).
The tone of the day was set by the sheer scoring. Not one of the 29 players who completed the first round went over par. East Lake, the storied Atlanta layout that hosts the season finale, was there for the taking, and the field took.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, who won his first PGA Tour title at this event in 2025, opened with a four-under 66 — four off the pace but comfortably in touch. The 35-year-old from Southport arrived ranked ninth in the FedExCup standings and fifth in the world, having made 16 of 17 cuts with eight top-10 finishes this season (Golf Channel).
Rory McIlroy's pursuit of a record-extending fourth FedEx Cup title started poorly. He bogeyed two of his first four holes before steadying himself on the back nine to sign for a 68, leaving him six behind Lee. Justin Rose and Alex Fitzpatrick matched McIlroy's 68.
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre reached three under, his round sparked by an eagle on the sixth hole from a putt of more than 30 feet. England's Matt Fitzpatrick finished at four under alongside Fleetwood after a birdie four on the last.
What makes Lee's round striking is the form he carried into it. He finished second from last at the BMW Championship the week before, the final qualifying event for this 30-man field. To follow that with a 62 on a course where every stroke carries a cash value — the winner takes the FedEx Cup and $10 million from a $40 million purse (PGA Tour) — is to turn a slump into a statement inside 24 hours.
Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, sat alone in the chasing pack after what was described as a career-best putting display at this event (PGA Tour). Scheffler, seeking his second Tour Championship title, birdied the last to keep himself within three of the lead.
The tournament runs through Sunday at East Lake, with the FedEx Cup and that $10 million prize going to the winner. After one round, the man who arrived in the worst form holds the best cards.
