Paul McGinley delivers verdict on how East Lake was set up on day one of the Tour Championship

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The first day of the Tour Championship was a low-scoring affair, and Sky Sports pundit Paul McGinley has shared his honest thoughts on East Lake’s setup.

Scottie Scheffler, unsurprisingly, is leading the way after carding the low round of the day. The world number one sits at 16-under, seven shots clear of his nearest competitors.

Xander Schauffele, who boasts one of the all-time great Tour Championship records, sits at nine under after carding a one-under 70. Justin Thomas, who only just made it into the FedEx Cup top 30, produced the other eye-catching round of the day, shooting a five-under 66.

East Lake was tipped to produce a challenging test. However, low scoring ensued, and McGinley believes the course setup was very ‘soft’.

Paul McGinley shares view on East Lake after day one of the Tour Championship

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Speaking during Sky Sports’ broadcast, McGinley claimed the PGA were too kind with how the course was set up during the first round.

“I think they have been a little bit soft with the setup today, being with a new golf course and the greens being firm,” McGinley explained.

“They haven’t really hidden the pins and they have softened the greens somewhat and moved some tee boxes up. I think now they have got the players up and running, and they may well tighten things as we go on for the next few days.”

PGA must be careful with changes they make to East Lake as Tour Championship continues

Given East Lake’s renovations, the PGA must exercise caution when assessing how to set up the course over the weekend.

The greens were softer than expected on Thursday, but, as McGinley mentions, it was probably due to the putting surfaces being watered heavily.

If the greens are allowed to firm up, East Lake could soon prove extremely testing, even for the world’s best players.

The correct path to take is to potentially tuck pin positions away and keep the greens the same, which will provide a more testing setup over the weekend.