Scottie Scheffler enjoyed an impressive return to competitive golf, as he found himself tied for the lead after the first round at the Hero World Challenge on Thursday. After a 7-under 65 on his first day, a confident Scheffler matched that in the final round to end the event 13 under. He finished in a tie with U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun, Sepp Straka, Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia. Each of them demonstrated phenomenal aptitude all day long.
When the players walked to the tee on the par-5 15th, Wyndham Clark was – you guessed it – 7-under. A bad tee shot led to a costly bogey that derailed his momentum. Scheffler, who had played 41-straight holes without a bogey, suffered a turn of fate on the last hole himself. Not only did he miss the 18th green with his chip shot, he played it too aggressively. This 3-putt mistake resulted in a bogey, bringing an otherwise fantastic round to a somewhat disappointing finish.
Even with the late blunder, Scheffler’s play was impressive. He commented on his round, stating, “I felt like I could have shot a good amount lower. There’s always a little bit of rust. Once you get into competition, I don’t really think about that stuff.”
To add insult to Scheffler’s performance, J.J. Spaun made a bogey on the 18th hole after getting up and down from a fairway bunker. Sepp Straka and Akshay Bhatia both shot bogey-free rounds, showcasing their skill in handling tough situations without making mistakes.
Wyndham Clark highlighted his day with an impressive eagle on the reachable par-4 seventh hole, where he holed a bunker shot. Bhatia matched this achievement on the very same hole, providing rare testimony to the dog-eat-dog nature even among the top contenders.
At one stage in the round, Scheffler, Clark, and Spaun were all up to 7 under. They stumbled with last-minute shots, igniting an incredibly strong competitive spirit for the contest.
Defending champion and three-time winner Jordan Spieth started his campaign with a 72. This leaves him far back of the top tier as they all work to earn themselves a bid to the big dance.
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