If people were worried the FedEx Cup finale was over before it started, they can stop now. Xander Schauffele and the field are all bunched together.

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ATLANTA – Paul Casey rarely looks at leaderboards while playing the front nine on a Thursday. After all, what’s the point with so little movement that early in the tournament? But five holes into the first round of the TOUR Championship, Casey took a peek. This week’s new Starting Strokes format had him intrigued. “For once, first time ever,â€� Casey said, “[it was] anticipation to see scores.â€� Casey was one of five players who started the day at 2 under, eight strokes off the lead held by FedExCup points leader Justin Thomas. After shooting a 4-under 66, he’s now at 6 under – four shots behind co-leaders Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka – and has a realistic shot at winning the FedExCup at East Lake. RELATED: Big names tied atop leaderboard | Koepka to appear in ESPN’s Body Issue | How new format works for TOUR Championship In the previous format, Casey would have started the week needing a handful of scenarios to play out in his favor. In fact, a year ago, Casey arrived at East Lake ranked 26th in points. Not only did he need to win the tournament, he also needed seven different players to fall in line before he could claim the FedExCup. He entered this week ranked 16th in points. Sure, he started eight shots behind, but if he can make up the ground and beat everybody else at East Lake, the FedExCup will be his. No other scenarios need to play out. If he wins the tournament, he wins golf’s biggest prize. Pretty simple. “I guess it was a little bit strange,â€� said Casey when asked about teeing off eight shots behind. “It was nice once everybody was on the golf course.â€� Unlike previous TOUR Championships in the FedExCup era, there’s only one leaderboard needed this week. Once the leaderboard started to fill up Thursday, and players knew exactly where they stood, it seemed, well, a bit normal. “It didn’t feel that much different, to be honest with you,â€� said 2016 FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy, who started five shots behind Thomas but shot a 66 and is now just a stroke off the lead. “… I sort of had the mindset this week that I’m starting on even par, and I’m going to try to shoot a good four-round total and see where that leaves me at the end of the week.â€� Said Koepka: “You could say I played it like a five-day event. I knew I was three down and … by the time the turn comes, try to get back to all square.â€� Unlike previous TOUR Championships — in which each of the top five players in points controlled his own destiny by claiming the FedExCup title with a win – the only player wearing a target this week was Thomas. Entering with a staggered lead over the other 29 players in the field, Thomas – who won the FedExCup in 2017 by finishing solo second to Schauffele in the TOUR Championship – was the focal point. A hot start could have deflated the field. “If he came out with five straight birdies, it would be like, OK, we’re done,â€� Casey said. Instead, with Thomas shooting even par, the field is now bunched. Five players started the tournament within five shots of the lead; after the first round, there are now 12 players in that position. “If I were Justin Thomas, I would be more upset than me in my position,â€� said Charles Howell III, who opened at even par (10 shots off the lead) but shot a 68 to cut his deficit to eight. “Justin’s played phenomenal golf and has done what he’s done, and he could theoretically fall quite a bit, and I could move up, and he’s played better than I have.â€� Thomas said he didn’t think it felt weird with the lead, one he’s been sitting on since winning the BMW Championship on Sunday. “I felt I did a really good job in terms of getting myself where I need to be mentally,â€� he said. “I just didn’t quite hit enough fairways.â€� Without the need for scenarios, there is now clarity. Meanwhile, the volatility of the leaderboard certainly has made things intriguing. Top-five guys from the previous format rarely suffered a significant drop. Play poorly this week, though, and it may prove more costly. “There’s no insurance policy this week for anybody,â€� Casey said. For those in the middle and back half of the pack, aggressive play is the gameplan. Casey said he had four birdies inside 2 feet, and another inside 4 feet. “I aimed at a bunch of stuff, which I don’t always do on a Thursday,â€� he said. “I think it benefits the kind of middle of the pack in a way,â€� said Rickie Fowler, who started at 2 under but shot a 71 and is now nine shots off the lead. “Not that whoever starts in front doesn’t have a good chance of winning. They still do. You start with a little bit of a lead. But I think kind of the guys maybe in the 8 to 15 area for sure. “Before, you know, you look at Tiger winning the tournament last year, and you need a lot of things to kind of go your way in the old system to come out on top. Now you go play well, especially the first couple days, and you’re right in the thick of it, and you know exactly what you need to do. It’s not based on what someone else does.â€� For someone like Howell, there’s still a long climb before he gets into contention. But he’s got a chance. He’s also happy the Starting Strokes format gave those at the bottom of the field an acceptable score. “I’m just glad they didn’t started the leader off at even, and us at plus 10,â€� Howell said, offering a smile. “I think that would have been even more humiliating.â€�

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ATLANTA – It was fun. It was rewarding. And yes …  “Getting naked’s a bit weird, the first time you actually pull that robe off in front of 30, 40 people,â€� said Brooks Koepka, the world’s top-ranked golfer and the latest one to appear in ESPN’s Body Issue. On his Instagram account Wednesday, Koepka posted a photo revealing the fact he’ll be in the magazine’s annual feature of athletes without uniforms – or any other kind of clothing for that matter. (The issue is available in early September.)  On Thursday, after shooting a 3-under 67 that moved him into a three-way tie for the lead at the TOUR Championship – he’s now 10 under in the new Starting Strokes format, sharing the score with Xander Schauffele (64) and Justin Thomas (70) – Koepka revealed his thoughts. RELATED: Tee times | Big names tied atop leaderboard | How new format works  “It was something I enjoyed,â€� he said. “I was looking forward to it for months. It’s something I definitely don’t regret doing. It’s been enjoyable to see the pictures over the last couple of months and see, I guess, all the hard work I put into it and see the results.â€� Of course, anybody who follows Koepka or his girlfriend Jena Sims on social media already has received an eyeful, with Koepka wearing a thong in a few photos. “I’ve basically given everybody a preview in a thong,â€� he said, “so … just a little strip of clothing left I had to pull off.â€� The photo shoot took place this spring, after some intense two-a-day training in the gym along with a strict, calorie-counting diet. Koepka weighed 187 pounds for the shoot; he’s now about 210 pounds. “I’ve got a great dad bod right now,â€� he said. Koepka becomes the fourth male golfer to appear in the Body Issue, which made its debut in 2009. Camilo Villegas appeared in 2010, Gary Player in 2013 and Greg Norman last year. In addition, several female golfers also have appeared. Some of Koepka’s photos were shot outdoors at the Floridian National Golf Club. Koepka said there were people on the course. Koepka’s coach Claude Harmon also was giving a lesson at the time to a junior player. “I’ll never forget this one shot,â€� Koepka said. “They were trying to get this shot, and I’m up on the tee box. They had all their camera stuff set up in front of me, like face-on, but around the corner I see Claude teaching this maybe 12-year-old kid, and his mom is just over here. I’m like, this is awkward. And Claude’s peaking around the corner laughing. … “I’m pretty sure everybody that was at the golf course saw me that day.â€� And now everybody else is about to see him – especially his fellow PGA TOUR pros, including Rickie Fowler, who was once asked to be in the Body Issue but declined the offer.  “I figured there would be some sort of hazing in the locker room afterwards,â€� he said. So has he given Koepka any grief? “I haven’t, no,â€� Fowler replied. “But he’s bigger than me.â€� Rory McIlroy was asked in 2015 to pose. He also declined. “It’s just a little strange,â€� he said. “… You have to have a bit of confidence to get up there and do it in the first place, so good on him.â€� Koepka said he hasn’t received any jabs from his fellow pros. Nor, he added, should they be shocked by anything they see in the photos. “I’ve walked around naked in the locker room before,â€� Koepka said. One pro, however, did manage to share a bit of the spotlight. A photo of a shirtless Phil Mickelson in the ocean was posted on his sister Tina’s Twitter account , showing off the weight loss – and defined abs – for the 49-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer. “Was there a coincidence that Phil released his pictures at the same time,â€� cracked fellow pro Paul Casey, who then added, “Has he let that breath out? … Is he a breather?â€� Koepka took it all in stride. “Laid one on me again,â€� Koepka said of the Mickelson photo. “Leave it to Phil. He’s good at it. He knows what he’s doing. He looked good, though.â€�

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ATLANTA – There was a fear before the TOUR Championship debuted its new format that the FedExCup leader could run away with the tournament and create a weekend devoid of drama. That wasn’t the case Thursday at East Lake Golf Club, though. The two-shot advantage that Justin Thomas held when he stepped on the first tee was gone by the 13th tee. After struggling to find fairways and hitting an iron into the water, Thomas finds himself in a three-way tie for the lead with 54 holes remaining. The leading trio features some of the TOUR’s most successful players over the past two years. They’ve combined to win a FedExCup (Thomas), Rookie of the Year (Xander Schauffele) and two Player of the Year awards (Brooks Koepka, Thomas). Koepka also is the hands-down favorite to win this year’s Player of the Year trophy. RELATED: Tee times | How new format works | JT switched driver shafts after last week’s win The leaders sit at 10 under par, one shot ahead of 2016 FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy. Patrick Cantlay and Georgia Tech alum Matt Kuchar are another shot back. Cantlay started the day in second place, while McIlroy and Kuchar both shot 66. Entering Thursday, there were just five players within five shots of the lead. There are now 12. Schauffele made the biggest move. His 64 was the low round of the day by two strokes. Schauffele won at East Lake two years ago to clinch the Rookie of the Year award, then finished seventh the following year. He’s been under par in eight of his nine rounds at East Lake. The exception was an even-par 70. “For how important and how top-notch this tournament is, it’s a very surprisingly relaxed week. You don’t see a bunch of guys grinding on the range in 90 degrees,â€� Schauffele said. “I just think I’m comfortable, and it sort of feeds into my sort of California vibe surprisingly, just because it’s so laid back.â€� Schauffele won twice this year, at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and Sentry Tournament of Champions. He’s shown a propensity for performing well at the game’s biggest events – he had two top-3s in majors this year – and now is trying to win his first FedExCup. Thomas won the season-long title when Schauffele was victorious at the TOUR Championship. Thomas won eight times in the preceding two seasons, but last week’s win at the BMW Championship was the first win of his injury-interrupted 2019 season. He left Medinah discontent with his driver, and that feeling continued Thursday. He hit less than half his fairways during his first-round 70. “It was very, very close out there, but I definitely — that being said, that’s golf, and I just needed to hit the fairways,â€� Thomas said. His most penal shot was with an iron, though. He hit his tee shot into the water at the 150-yard, par-3 15th. Only three players missed that green Thursday, and he was the only player to hit it in the water. Thomas preceded his first round last week with what he coined the “worst warm-up I’ve ever had.â€� Koepka is hoping he can win this week after a frustrating range session. Like Thomas two years ago, Brooks Koepka is trying to wrap up a Player of the Year campaign with a victory in the FedExCup. Koepka already has three wins this season, including a major (PGA Championship) and World Golf Championship (FedEx St. Jude Invitational). Koepka was “freaking out a little bitâ€� while trying to find his game on the range Tuesday. “I never felt that uncomfortable over the putter or just hitting the ball,â€� Koepka said. He described it as “full panic modeâ€� after he made the turn Thursday and hit his tee shot well right of the fairway. “I felt like the train was off the tracks there on 9 and 10,â€� he said. “I hit that ball on 10, 75 yards right. It started 70 right and cut 5, so that wasn’t very good.â€� He regrouped to birdie three of the final four holes, though. He’ll join his Presidents Cup teammate, Schauffele, in the final group. “It’s funny about this game. When it’s going really well, you’re never thinking. And then all of a sudden, everything kind of abandons you, and you’re trying to figure out, what’s the answer? What’s the answer? How do I right the ship? How do I figure it out? And you start looking at ten different things, and odds are it’s one simple thing,â€� Koepka said. The task ahead is straightforward, as well. Now that one round is in the books, there’s no more talk about starting positions or strokes. Fifty-four holes remain and the leaderboard is all that matters.

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ATLANTA — Xander Schauffele had a 6-under 64 for the best opening round at East Lake by two shots. It was only worth a share of the lead Thursday in a TOUR Championship where 30 players were given a head start based on their position in the FedExCup. Justin Thomas, who started at 10-under par and a two-shot lead as the No. 1 seed in the FedExCup, hit pitching wedge into the water for double bogey and twice missed 3-foot putts in his round of 70. Instead of being six shots behind, he goes into the second round tied. Brooks Koepka birdied three of his last four holes for a 67 and joined them at 10-under par. The score to par is all that matters in deciding who wins the FedExCup Playoffs and the $15 million prize.

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