NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler returned to competitors Thursday for the primary time in two months, and little or no modified. Even with a bogey on the ultimate gap, he had a 6-under 66 and was a part of a five-way tie for the lead within the Hero World Problem.
Scheffler was tied with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Sepp Straka, Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia on a heat, breezy afternoon at Albany Golf Membership.
The world’s No. 1 participant wasn’t the one one who had taken loads of time without work. Straka additionally had not performed for the reason that Ryder Cup ended the final weekend in September.
The Hero World Problem has a 20-man subject, an end-of-the-year vacation occasion that prime gamers usually use as step one towards preparing for subsequent yr. Scheffler is coming off a six-win season that included two majors and nothing worse than a tie for eighth in his previous 15 tournaments.
His solely change was a brand new driver, and it carried out to his requirements. The remainder of his sport seemed stable as ever. Scheffler had birdies on 4 of the six scoring holes — 4 par-5s and two reachable par-4s. His solely lapse was a chip that ran throughout and over the 18th inexperienced.
“I did some good things,” Scheffler mentioned. “I felt like I might have shot a very good quantity decrease. There’s at all times slightly little bit of a rust. When you get into competitors, I do not actually take into consideration that stuff.”
Bhatia and Straka performed bogey-free. Clark, Scheffler and Spaun every reached 7 underneath at one level till dropping a shot late within the spherical. Clark was at 7 underneath going to the par-5 fifteenth, however a poor tee shot led to bogey. Spaun bogeyed the 18th from a fairway bunker.
Clark and Bhatia every holed bunker photographs for eagle on the reachable par-4 seventh.
All however 4 gamers broke par within the opening spherical, with newcomer Chris Gotterup at 74 and Robert MacIntyre at 73.
Jordan Spieth, who obtained a sponsor exemption, was enjoying for the primary time for the reason that FedEx St. Jude Championship to start out the postseason and opened with a 72. He had been engaged on his sport to rid of unhealthy habits, however there was clear rust. Spieth ran off three straight birdies on the entrance 9, however none over the past 11 whereas struggling along with his chipping and at occasions his placing.
And it most likely did not assist that he was alongside Scheffler, who’s going after his third straight title within the Hero World Problem. Relationship to final yr, Scheffler went 41 consecutive holes and not using a bogey till lacking the 18th inexperienced and hitting his chip too arduous.
