Bradley opens up early lead with Donald in second

A month after winning the US PGA, American Keegan Bradley improved his odds of claiming the FedEx Cup by charging into a two-shot lead in the opening round of the Tour Championship at East Lake, Atlanta yesterday.

In mainly overcast conditions with the ever-present threat of a thunderstorm, the 25-year-old birdied four of the last seven holes for a superb six-under-par 64. "It was a great day out there, I hit a lot of really good shots and no real scary bad ones," Bradley said.

Britain's Luke Donald, the world No 1, was two shots behind in joint second with Chez Reavie and Jason Dufner. Any of the top five in the rankings – Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Donald and Matt Kuchar – would automatically secure the FedEx Cup and its $10m bonus with victory on Sunday. Simpson, currently in the lead, and Britain's Rose both opened with 69s.