Scheffler grabs 2-shot lead at Hero World Challenge; Bhatia, Thomas stay close

 Defending champion Scottie Scheffler regained his swing and putting powers to card a marvellous 8-under 64 and grab the sole lead on the second day of the Hero World Challenge here.

Scheffler, who had a middling 5-under 67 on the opening day, changed the script dramatically with seven birdies on the front nine that helped him close the day with a commanding 36-hole total of 131 (-13), the best on this course after becoming the host of this event in 2014.

Rickie Fowler had posted a tournament record of 61 (-11) in the final round in 2017 while scoring a front-nine 28.

“Me shooting 8-under on the golf course is not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there, clean card, bogey free, eight birdies,” said Scheffler.

Starting at 5-under on Friday, his new putting grip seemed to work like magic as he birdied everything except two of the three Par-3s on the front nine.

He was seven-under for the first nine and 12-under for the 27 holes and was four ahead of the field at one stage. Then his putting cooled down with just one more birdie for the rest of the holes.

“I felt like my swing was in a good spot. I was hitting it close to the hole and I was knocking in the putts. So I’m just going to try to continue to do it as best as I can,” he added.

The world No. 1 is aiming to become the first player since Tiger Woods (2006, 2007) and Viktor Hovland (2021, 2022) to win back-to-back titles here.

The American can also join Woods (5), Davis Love III (2), Graeme McDowell (2) and Hovland (2) as multiple winners of the event.

But Scheffler could face some serious challenge from compatriots Akshay Bhatia (6-under 66) and Justin Thomas (5-under 67) who are tied second with a total of 11-under.

The 22-year-old left-hander Akshay, who has a Kom Ferry Tour win here in 2022, made 14 birdies through 36 holes in his tournament debut, and is tied with leader Scheffler for most birdies through two rounds.

“I made some putts. It’s not too difficult to hit fairways out here, but I feel like I just played solid,” said Akshay.

While Akshay, who shot 5-under 67 on the opening day, improved his tally by a stroke on the day, Thomas, who made 6-under 66 the previous day, settled for five-under at the Albany Golf Course.

Thomas constructed a very solid round with four birdies on the front nine and then made up for a bogey on the 13th with back-to-back gains on the 14th and the 15th.

Sahith Theegala got hit by a triple bogey and two other bogeys but managed to stay afloat with six birdies for a 71, that placed him tied-eighth with Patrick Cantlay, who was held back by back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and the 17th.