FedExCup update: Rose projected at No. 1

ATLANTA — Each of the top five players in the FedExCup standings is guaranteed to win the FedExCup with a victory at this week’s TOUR Championship. In addition, there are certain scenarios for winning the FedExCup should someone outside the top five win the tournament. TOUR Championship co-leaders Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler are Nos. 2 and 3 in the projected FedExCup standings. (Both players are currently credited with the 2,000 points that come with a victory). Here’s a look at how each top-5 player fared during Thursday’s first round at East Lake.  1. Bryson DeChambeau, 71, T21 (projected 4th in FedExCup): It was a tale of two nines for the FedExCup leader, and it resulted in his highest round of the Playoffs. DeChambeau made two double-bogeys en route to a 39 on the front nine, then came in with a bogey-free 32. “The rough is brutal out there. I’ve never encountered something that thick,â€� said DeChambeau, who hit just six fairways Thursday. 2. Justin Rose, 66, T3 (projected 1st): The Englishman continued his strong play at East Lake, where he twice has been runner-up. The 66 matched his lowest opening round in the TOUR Championship. He also started with a 66 en route to a second-place finish in 2012. “I think I played fantastically, if I’m honest. I drove the ball unbelievably well today, which obviously sets up the opportunity to score well,â€� Rose said. “With a couple of holes to play, I was a little frustrated I hadn’t gotten more out of my round. I felt like it was a day that I could have gone low.â€� He only missed two fairways and one green Thursday to lead the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. 3. Tony Finau, 67, T5 (projected 5th): Finau, who is playing in his second TOUR Championship, has broken par in four of five rounds at East Lake. He was 1 over par after bogeys at 4 and 5, but was bogey-free the rest of the way. He made birdies on Nos. 6, 7, 9 and 17. “It was important to birdie a couple coming back,â€� Finau said. “This golf course is playing tough. It’s fast. The rough is thick. So you’ve got to hit fairways to score. I was able to do that today.â€� 4. Dustin Johnson, 69, T12 (projected 7th): Johnson got under par for the first time with an eagle at the final hole. Woods was the only other player to make a 3 on 18. Johnson was 3 over par at the turn but played his final four holes in 4 under. He birdied 15 and 16 before his eagle. “I definitely was struggling a little bit, but I didn’t feel like I was playing bad,â€� Johnson said. “I just missed some short putts and then hit a couple bad drives that cost me the three shots. … I knew if I could get it back to even that I’m not out of the golf tournament by any means, especially not around here.â€� 5. Justin Thomas, 67, T5 (projected 6th): The reigning FedExCup champ is off to another strong start at East Lake. Thomas, who has finished second and sixth in his previous two TOUR Championships, stared with a sub-par round for the third consecutive year. He bogeyed the first two holes, then shot 31 on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 10-12 and 15. “I hung in there well,â€� said Thomas, who hit 15 greens Thursday. “I felt like I could have shot 7 or 8 under on that back nine. I really had it going and had good control out there.” Here’s a look at the top 5 in the projected standings:  1. Justin Rose (2nd in FedExCup), 2,450 projected points 2. Tiger Woods (20th in FedExCup), 2,219 projected points 3. Rickie Fowler (23rd in FedExCup, 2,182 projected points 4. Bryson DeChambeau (1st in FedExCup), 2,160 projected points 5. Tony Finau, (3rd in projected points), 1,920 projected points 

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