-seven K Bradley (USA); -6 A Scott (Australia); -5 S Lowry (Ireland), H Varner III (USA), J Thomas (USA) |
Others selected: -4 T Hatton (Eng), C Morikawa (USA), C Young (USA), X Schauffele (USA); -3 R McIlroy (NI), S Scheffler (US), J Spieth (US); -2 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) |
Ranking |
Keegan Bradley birdied on six of the first nine holes before shooting a seven-under-par 64 to take the lead after the first round of the BMW Championship.
The 36-year-old American is one step ahead of Australian Adam Scott.
Irishman Shane Lowry is tied for third with five under and England’s Tyrrell Hatton is in a field that opened with a 67.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland finished three under, those also on that score including world number one and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.
The BMW Championship – which is played at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware – is the second of three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments, with the top 30 of the PGA Tour season points table following Sunday’s final round before the championship next week’s season-ending circuit in Atlanta.
Bradley and Scott are both in position to move into the top 30, 44th and 45th respectively.
“I would love to go to Atlanta,” Bradley said. “That’s everyone’s goal to start the year.”
Bradley, the 2011 US PGA Championship winner but seeking his first PGA Tour win since the 2018 BMW Championship, started his day with a 13-foot birdie putt on the first hole before tying his lowest score on nine PGA holes of 29.
“He had kind of done everything the way he wanted to,” Scott said. “I was writing it.”
McIlroy scored 68 despite a triple bogey six on the par three 15th, finding water off the tee before missing a double bogey putt from under four feet.
“Just that tee shot on 15 – then I made that worse with the three-putt,” McIlroy said. “Overall the rest was pretty good.”