Scottie Scheffler holds a 4-shot lead at East Lake while Morikawa and Schauffele aim to narrow the gap

Scottie Scheffler displayed impressive performance at East Lake on Friday with a 5-under 66 to secure a four-shot lead at the Tour Championship. Despite his lead, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele made significant moves to challenge Scheffler’s position. Morikawa delivered a stellar round with nine birdies, including two crucial ones after a storm delay, finishing with an 8-under 63. Meanwhile, Schauffele sealed a 64 with vital putts to stay in contention.

Although Morikawa and Schauffele narrowed the gap, Scheffler, the top seed in the FedEx Cup, maintained a commanding lead at 21-under par. Morikawa trailed by four shots, followed by Schauffele one shot behind. The rest of the field lagged further behind, with no one closer than nine shots to Scheffler.

Scheffler’s performance at East Lake indicates his readiness to contend for the FedEx Cup and the $25 million prize, a feat he narrowly missed in previous years. The overhauled East Lake course poses a challenge for all players, with Scheffler acknowledging the course changes upon his arrival earlier in the week.

Despite a minor setback with a bogey after 29 holes, Scheffler demonstrated resilience by sinking a crucial par putt. Morikawa and Schauffele’s strong play kept the pressure on Scheffler throughout the round, ensuring an exciting competition at the Tour Championship.