Collin Morikawa lights up Tour Championship, shockingly atop FedEx Cup leaderboard with career-low round

ATLANTA — The climate at East Lake and Collin Morikawa had masses in general on Thursday. Both were hot hot.

The 2-time essential champion carded a 9-under par 61 to soar up the FedEx Cup leaderboard. It marks his career-low ranking on the PGA Tour as he now finds himself squarely in competitors at the Tour Championship.

He’s 10-under for the match, and since Scottie Scheffler started the day at 10-under thanks to the modified starting strokes structure, Morikawa received masses of ground.

“It feels great,” Morikawa acknowledged of his round. “No better time than the Tour Championship to put up and launch taking half in smartly suited golf. For the following three days, proceed to manipulate the golf ball, retain hitting it pin excessive, and giving myself potentialities.”

Morikawa had masses of potentialities Thursday, which started beautiful out of the gate.

He birdied the no longer easy par-4 1st, the 2nd most tense hole on the route.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Shots

Then, he got fortunate at the par-4 fifth. At any time when someone shoots a 61, breaks most continuously descend their manner.

“I got a fortunate damage on 5,” Morikawa acknowledged. “I pulled a force left, hit a tree, ended up in a fairway, and made birdie. That’s roughly the momentum stuff that I fair haven’t seen all twelve months.”

Morikawa has no longer won this season despite ranking 11th on the PGA Tour in strokes received.

Of route, that was as soon as on corpulent point to at the very subsequent hole, the par-5 sixth; his 2nd shot there proved to be the highlight of the day.

The 2-time essential champion stuck it to four feet and made an eagle three.

“Six felt great,” Morikawa added.

“Look, I hit some great shots. Even the shot on the 15th is by no draw an effortless par-3. I suspect we can all agree on that. In an instant as soon as I hit the tee shot, I didn’t even seek it because I knew where it was as soon as going to switch, and that’s the roughly management you establish on.”

“Some days are going to be better than others, however it surely’s good to know that that golf swing is only precisely where I need it.”

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Shots

Some days are indeed better than others, and for Morikawa, no round has been better for him on the PGA Tour.

“The manner at the present time felt, I wish I would possibly perchance presumably well drag play one more 18,” he joked.

He played bogey-free golf and blitzed East Lake all day. He even done birdie-birdie-birdie to cap off his ancient round.

Handiest Zach Johnson has carded a lower ranking at East Lake, which was as soon as a 10-under 60 support in 2007—the inaugural twelve months of the FedEx Cup.

Nonetheless, Morikawa is now in competitors for the FedEx Cup, and he’s hitting the ball precisely how he needs to. That’s a upsetting combo.

Jack Milko is a golf crew author for SB Nation’s Taking half in Thru. Potentialities are you’ll perchance presumably apply him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf protection. Make certain to verify out @_PlayingThrough too.