Here’s what you missed from Round 1 of the BMW Championship

The second stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs are upon us, where the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings punched their ticket for the right to battle it out at the BMW Championship in Illinois, hoping to claim a spot in the coveted top 30, which earns them a berth in next week’s Tour Championship.

Here’s everything you missed from Thursday’s action at Medinah.

A bogey-free, seven-birdie round propelled Justin Thomas to the top of the leaderboard, while Jason Kokrak carded six birdies, an eagle and a bogey en route to his round of seven-under-par 65 to match Thomas.

Thomas has nine Tour wins on his resume, but hasn’t notched a victory since the 2017 CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. He has five top-10 finishes thus far this season.

Kokrak also has five top 10s this season, but is still seeking his maiden PGA Tour victory.

Tied for the lead.@jaykokrak joins @JustinThomas34 at 7-under.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/iOohN3DHwf

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 15, 2019

JT is already solidly within the FedEx Cup top 30 at No. 15. A win this week would launch him all the way to No. 1 heading into the Tour Championship. Kokrak is currently on the outside looking in at No. 32, but a win this week would lift him to No. 3.

A four-birdie, three-bogey round left Tiger Woods T-50 and one under par overall at the conclusion of the first round. At No. 38 in the FedEx Cup standings, he has some work to do over the next three rounds if he wants to earn his way into the Tour Championship, where he’s the defending champ.

?@TigerWoods gets back to 2-under.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/1OUkuOBICL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 15, 2019

Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler are T-8 at five under par.

Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm are T-17 at four under par.

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?@BKoepka is 5-under since making back-to-back bogies#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/M39M79c62L

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 15, 2019

Rory McIlroy is T-26 at three under par.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth are T-36 at two under par.

Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods are T-50 at one under par.

Based on Thursday’s standings, there are several names that could jump into the field in Atlanta with a good finish this week.

Jim Furyk is six under par in T-3, and is projected to move from No. 48 in the FedEx standings to No. 24 is he can maintain his position.

Lucas Glover, also T-3, is currently No. 41 in the standings and could move to No. 22.

Scott Piercy is T-8 at five under par overall, and has a chance to go from No. 35 to No. 27.

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