Scottie Scheffler holds a five-way tie for the lead after the first round of the Hero World Challenge.
Schaeffler is back in competition for the first time in two months and is in good shape. Even though I made a bogey on the last hole, I shot 66.
Scheffler was tied at 6 under par with US Open champions JJ Spaun, Sepp Straka, Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia after the first day at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas.
The world’s No. 1 player wasn’t the only one who took a lot of time off. Straka also hasn’t played since the Ryder Cup in late September.
The Hero World Challenge features a 20-player field, a holiday event that top players often use as a first step to prepare for next year. Scheffler is coming off a season in which he has six wins, including two majors, and a tie for eighth in his last 15 tournaments.
Scottie Scheffler watches his putt on the third green. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Scheffler had birdies on four of the six scoring holes – four par 5s and two par 4s within reach. His only mistake was a chip across the 18th green.
“I did a good job,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I could have shot a little lower. There’s always a little bit of rust. Once you get into competition, I don’t really think about that.”
Bhatia and Straka played bogey-free. Clark, Scheffler and Spaun were each at 7 under par at one point before dropping a stroke late in the round. Clark was 7 under par on the par-5 15th hole, but a poor tee shot led to a bogey. Spaun made bogey in a fairway bunker on the 18th hole.
Clark and Bhatia each holed bunker shots for eagle on the reachable par-4 seventh.
All but four players broke par in the opening round, with rookie Chris Gotterup at 74 and Robert MacIntyre at 73.
Jordan Spieth, who received a sponsor exemption, made his first postseason start since the FedEx St. Jude Championship and opened with a 72. While struggling with chipping and sometimes putting, he made three consecutive birdies in the first nine holes, but was unable to make a birdie in the last 11 holes.
He was with Scheffler, who was looking for his third straight title at the Hero World Challenge. Until last year, Scheffler had played 41 consecutive holes without a bogey, then missed the green on the 18th hole and hit the chip too hard.
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