Koepka and Schauffele catch Thomas to share the Tour Championship Lead

"You just have to go outside and try to play some good golf and not look around and not watch what other boys are doing, "McIlroy said Wednesday," and trust that by the end of the week everything will hopefully be the same. "

McIlroy, the 2016 FedEx Cup champion, followed his own advice and placed a 66 who left him alone in fourth place, one blow off the pace.

Like McIlroy, who birdied three of the last six holes, Koepka finished strong. He played the last four holes in three under. Koepka all wore black on Thursday, but photos of him without a wardrobe seemed to be what most people wanted to discuss on Thursday.

Koepka had posed nude for the September issue of ESPN Magazine, and some images were made public this week. Some of the shots were taken at Floridian National Golf Club, the home of his coach, and Koepka said he would not soon drop his robes to hit from a tee-box nearby where the coach, Claude Harmon III, a taught.

"I'm on the tee-box," said Koepka, "and they had all their camera gear set up face-on for me, but around the corner I see Claude teaching this, maybe 12-year-old child, and his mother has just arrived there. I have something like & # 39; This is uncomfortable & # 39; and Claude peeks around the corner laughing. "

Koepka added:" I am pretty sure that everyone who on the golf course I saw that day, but whatever. "

Did he feel self-conscious?

"I never really thought about it," Koepka said, adding, "I liked it. I have nothing to be ashamed of."