Cal Sports Report

Collin Morikawa Shoots Career-Best 61 in First Round of Tour Championship

Morikawa is tied for the FedEx Cup lead after starting the day nine strokes behind

Jake Curtis

Former Cal golfer Collin Morikawa had the best round of his pro career on Thursday, shooting a 9-under-par 61 in the first round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. It leaves him tied for the lead in the race for the $18 million that goes to the FedEx Cup champion, which will be determined on Sunday.

He is tied with Viktor Hovland and Keegan Bradley, all at 10 under par, including the strokes provided by their FedEx Cup standings entering this event.

Morikawa started Thursday in 24th place in the FedEx Cup standings, and that placement allowed him to begin the Tour Championship at 1 under par. That was nine strokes behind Scottie Scheffler, who led the FedEx Cup standings entering this event and had a 10-under-par designation at the start of this final event of the FedEx Cup.

However, Scheffler had a tough day. He had a triple-bogey 6 on the 15th hole on his way to a 1-over-par 71, That left him at 9-under, one stroke off the lead.

Hovland started the day in second place in the FedEx Cup standings, giving a starting point of 8-under.  He shot a 2-under-par 68 on Thursday to put him at 10 under.

Bradley started this event at 3-under and his 7-under-par score of 63 left him at 10-under as well.

But no one could match Morikawa, whose opening-round 61 was two strokes better than anyone else and was one stroke shy of the course record.

Morikawa had one of the early starting times of the 30 players participating in the Tour Championship and still in contention to win the FedEx Cup.

He had seven birdies, one eagle and no bogeys while completing the best round of his career.

Asked what he liked about his round, Morikawa said, “Everything.”

He is pleased he playing well now.

"It feels great," Morikawa said. "Shoot, no better time, I guess, [than] in our Tour Championship to show up and start playing some golf. But just really I think for the next three days just have that control of the golf ball, keep hitting it pin high, giving myself chances."

This shot on the sixth hole set up his eagle-3:

And this long putt on the 12th hole provided another birdie:

Max Homa, the other former Cal player in the running for the FedEx Cup, was in sixth place in the Cup standing entering this event, earning him a 4-under-par start this week. He shot an even-par 70 on Thursday, leaving him at 4-under, six strokes off the lead.

He started the day on a double-bogey on the first hole, but he had four birdies, including a birdie on the 18th.

Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Chris Day, The Commercial Appeal, USA TODAY NETWORK

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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