Defending champion Scottie Scheffler had a remarkable day at the Hero World Challenge, carding an impressive 8-under 64 to claim the solo lead after the second round.
After a solid 5-under 67 on the opening day, Scheffler turned things around on Friday with a stunning performance. He made seven birdies on the front nine alone, finishing the day with a total of 131 (-13), putting him firmly in control with a four-shot lead at one stage.
Scheffler, who had struggled slightly with his putting in the past, found his rhythm on Friday with a new grip that seemed to work wonders. His front nine was nothing short of spectacular, as he was seven-under at the turn, and his confidence grew as the round progressed.
Despite his putting cooling off towards the end of the round, he still managed to maintain a commanding position atop the leaderboard.
Speaking about his round, Scheffler was pleased with his play: "I felt like my swing was in a good spot. I was hitting it close to the hole and knocking in the putts. So I'm just going to try to continue to do it as best as I can."
With a total of 131, Scheffler has the best 36-hole total at the course since it became the host venue for this event in 2014, surpassing the previous tournament record of 61 set by Rickie Fowler in 2017.
Scheffler is aiming to join an elite group of players who have won back-to-back titles at the Hero World Challenge, including Tiger Woods (2006, 2007) and Viktor Hovland (2021, 2022).
A victory here would also make Scheffler just the fifth player to win multiple titles at this event, alongside Woods, Davis Love III, Graeme McDowell, and Hovland.
But Scheffler is far from alone at the top of the leaderboard. Fellow Americans Akshay Bhatia and Justin Thomas are hot on his heels, both tied for second place at 11-under par.
Bhatia, the 22-year-old left-hander, continues to impress in his tournament debut, following up a 5-under 67 on Thursday with a 6-under 66 on Friday. He has been making birdies left and right, with 14 through the first 36 holes, tying him with Scheffler for the most birdies in the tournament thus far.
Bhatia, who won a Korn Ferry Tour event here in 2022, spoke confidently about his performance: "I made some putts. It's not too difficult to hit fairways out here, but I feel like I just played solid." His consistent play has put him in a strong position as he aims for a breakthrough performance.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas, who shot a solid 6-under 66 on Thursday, remained steady with a 5-under 67 on Friday. Thomas had a solid round with four birdies on the front nine, though he had to recover from a bogey on the 13th hole.
He made up for it with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, keeping himself within striking distance of the leaders.
Despite some struggles, including a triple bogey and two other bogeys, Sahith Theegala managed to stay in contention, finishing the day with a 71.
He sits tied for eighth with Patrick Cantlay, who was also hindered by a couple of bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes. Theegala’s six birdies, however, helped him remain in the mix, while Cantlay’s late struggles held him back.
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