Adam Scott has come out guns blazing in his fight to keep his PGA Tour season alive, taking the clubhouse lead on day one at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Scott posted a five-under-par 65 on day one at Sedgefield Country Club, two years after he finished tied second at the Donald Ross-designed course.
“I plotted my way around and wasn’t anything spectacular, but nothing too bad either,” Scott said after his round. “A bit of a sloppy last hole, but when you shoot 65, you can stomach that… I think that’s going to be the important thing for me the next couple of days is to keep it rolling and give myself a good look at it on Sunday.”
Before the tournament started, Scott was No. 81 in the FedEx Cup points standings. The top 70 advance to the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs – next week’s St Jude event in Memphis.
Former world No.1 Scott needs a minimum of a two-way tie for ninth at the Wyndham to have a chance to move into the top 70. A three-way tie for third, according to tour projections, would all but guarantee the Queenslander a spot in the playoffs opener.
But Scott said making the playoffs wasn’t the goal this week, nor was keeping a 17-year streal alive. Scott and Matt Kuchar are the only two players to make the FedEx Cup playoffs every year since series’ inception in 2007/
Instead, Scott’s focusis on winning the event that he lost in a playoff in 2021, when he missed a short putt for victory.
“I feel like when I come out to play golf, I’m there to give it my best shot,” said Scott. “I’ve had a lot of years having a go at the FedEx Cup playoffs… I want to win this tournament and if I do that, I can have a really good run right through to East Lake, I believe.”
Scott started his round on the back nine with a par on the par-4 10th and a bogey on the par-4 11th. But the 14-time PGA Tour winner made four birdies to go out in 32. The 2013 Masters winner made three more birdies on the par-3 third, par-5 fifth and par-4 eighth before a bogey on the ninth gave him a 65.
Scott owns three top 10s this season, including at tie for fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Fellow Australian Cameron Percy shot a 69 to finish at one under, while Cameron Davis was also one under the card during his first round. Davis is around the top 70 FedEx Cup bubble at No.69 and needs at least a two-way tie for 14th to get in.
Harrison Endycott and Aaron Baddeley (75) needed a victory to advance to the playoffs but will have work to do in round two just to make the cut.
