Rory McIlroy admits what he thought when he saw Scottie Scheffler had already got to 14 under at the Tour Championship

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Rory McIlroy faces a battle to land his fourth Tour Championship title despite producing a solid opening round 69 at East Lake.

McIlroy dropped two shots on the front nine before bouncing back emphatically on the back with three birdies, including one on the finishing hole.

McIlory has a stunning record at East Lake, but the Northern Irishman is aware he will have to produce something special to catch Scottie Scheffler.

The world number one carded the low round of the day and sits at 16 under, seven shots clear of his nearest competitors.

Rory McIlroy shares honest Scottie Scheffler verdict after watching him at the Tour Championship

• READ MORE: All you need to know about East Lake Golf Club, the much-changed home of the Tour Championship

Talking after his first 18 at the Tour Championship, McIlroy admitted he had a change of attitude after seeing Scheffler reach 14 under.

“When I saw Scottie had gotten to 14, I was like, oh, got to try to just hang on to the coattails a little bit,” McIlroy said. “Still feel like I’ve got a chance, and it was nice to finish the way I did.”

The Northern Irishman also revealed how he was happy with his efforts in the searing Atlanta conditions.

“Yeah, this week is all about just trying to conserve as much energy as possible,” McIlroy added. “I think it’s going to get a little cooler at the weekend, which is nice. I’m happy with how I hung in there and had a good finish.”

Rory McIlroy needs all-time East Lake performance to catch Scottie Scheffler at the Tour Championship

McIlroy has caught Scheffler at the Tour Championship before, and the Northern Irishman will have to produce an all-time performance if he’s to land golf’s most lucrative prize for the fourth time.

As the event heads into the weekend, McIlroy must shoot lower than Scheffler on Friday and Saturday and try to force his way into the final group.

The 2022 Tour Championship was the perfect example of Scheffler struggling to deal with McIlroy’s relentless scoring. If the four-time major winner finds himself alongside the world number one once more over the weekend, he must use the 2022 outing as inspiration.

Right now, however, it’s hard to envisage anyone getting near Scheffler as he cruises to his maiden Tour Championship title.