Rory McIlroy improved his starting score of -4 by three shots with a 67 but is eight behind leader Scottie Scheffler in a tie for sixth at the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Players start the Georgia event with their shot advantages determined by their place in the FedEx Cup standings.
Nobody had a wilder day than McIlroy. He hit his opening tee shot out of bounds and wound up with a triple bogey at the first. He was four-over through four before playing the final 14 holes in seven-under, featuring an eagle at the sixth hole. His final tally also had eight birdies, four bogeys and just four pars.
"I got off to the worst start possible," McIlroy said. "We got a little unfortunate that we teed off in that big downpour earlier in the day. I tried to guide sort of this little peeler into the fairway at the first and completely double-crossed, body stopped.
"I knew my game was good, it was just one of those things. But not the ideal way to start, but proud of how I bounced back from that."
Scheffler began the FedEx Cup finale, where players are given a starting score based on their season's performance, on 10 under but pushed that out to -15 with a superb 65.
"I felt like I played really good all day, and I was only two under, so to get those last three birdies at the end was definitely some icing on the cake," Scheffler said.
American Xander Schauffele's 66 put him second on 10 under, while Chilean Joaquin Niemann's 64 left him on eight under. The latter was joined by the second-highest points earner, defending champion Patrick Cantlay of the US, thanks to a closing eagle for a 70.
British Open champion Cameron Smith, playing for the first time since the opening FedEx Cup playoffs event due to a hip injury, still managed a 67 and joined McIlroy at eight shots back.
