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Australia’s Adam Scott reversed course with a superb 9-under 63 to take a three-shot lead at the BMW Championship, the second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, on Friday.
The 44-year-old made his PGA Tour debut at Castle Pines Golf Club 24 years ago, the start of a career that has brought him 14 Tour victories but none in the last four years.
But the 2013 Masters winner equalled the course record with his bogey-free round, catapulting himself into the lead.
“It’s been a long time. I can’t remember the last time I shot a 63 here,” said Scott, who is 13 under par for the tournament.
“But it feels good to go lower, to know that I still have it in me. I hope there will be one more this week,” he added.
By breaking into the top 50 of the FedEx Cup standings, Scott has not only ensured that he will be competing this week, but also secured a spot in the tour’s premier events next season.
The Australian only managed to crack the top 50 with a 67 in the final round of the St Jude Championship on Sunday, but with the pressure off he says he is playing with freedom.
“Your mindset changes so much. Coming off the range, I just wanted to keep moving in the right direction, aim to shoot under par and keep going. Then, halfway through the round, I was thinking about how many birdies I could make. It’s funny how that happens,” he said.
“I feel like I really have nothing to lose this week. I can’t get out of the top 50. I’m going to have a good program in the Signature Events next year. Of course, I’d like to go to East Lake, but right now, I’d like to win this event,” he said.
The final FedEx Cup event is the Tour Championship at East Lake, near Atlanta, next week.
Scott is three shots ahead of evening leader Keegan Bradley, who shot a 4-under 68, with his first bogey of the tournament coming on the 18th.
Bradley, the captain of the U.S. team for the 2025 Ryder Cup, had a one-shot lead over Hideki Matsuyama after the first round, but by the time he blew the whistle, the situation was very different.
Matsuyama had withdrawn due to a back injury and Scott had largely outpaced him.
“Adam is a world-class Hall of Fame player. He went out and did what he does, and I’m going to have to play really well to be alongside him this weekend,” Bradley said.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg also entered the race for the weekend, matching Scott’s 63 with a round that saw a bogey on the par-4 third hole and an eagle on the par-5 14th.
Aberg said the rain late in Thursday’s round allowed for more offensive approaches to the greens.
“The greens were a little softer, so you could be a little more aggressive and get away with a little more,” he said.
“I always felt like it was similar. The course is accessible. I felt like I hit it well. I hit a lot of fairways, and then you can be pretty aggressive on the greens,” he added.
Sweden’s Alex Noren was in fourth place at 8 under par after shooting a second straight round of 68.
FedEx Cup leader, world number one and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had a tough day, making par despite three bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 10th hole.
Scheffler is one under par for the tournament and 12 shots off the lead.
Xander Schauffele, winner of this year’s PGA Championship and British Open, also had a tough round, making five bogeys in his one-over-par 73.
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