Bo Van Pelt holds one-shot lead at Barclays

Bo Van Pelt had just the round he needed to start the FedEx Cup playoffs. Rory McIlroy could afford an off day, and he finally had one.

With no guarantee of playing beyond this week, Van Pelt combined a great start and a great finish for a six-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead Thursday at the Barclays at Paramus, N.J. He is No. 104 in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 100 advance to the next tournament.

Paul Casey is No. 118 with a lot on his mind — specifically the birth of his first child in two weeks — and played bogey-free at Ridgewood to join seven other players at 66.

McIlroy is the top seed after his amazing summer of winning two majors and a World Golf Championship. But the world’s No. 1 player had a three-over 74, his worst start to a tournament in two months.

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So Yeon Ryu set a course record with a nine-under 63 to take the lead at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open after one round at London, Ontario. Ryu finished with nine birdies at the London Hunt and Country Club to take a one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Na Yeon Choi, who chipped in three times during an impressive morning round.