KAPALUA, Hawaii — A brand new 12 months, the identical outdated Scottie Scheffler.
The world’s No. 1 participant had eight birdies and an eagle Friday for a 9-under 64 at The Sentry, giving him a one-shot lead going into the weekend on the PGA Tour’s season opener.
Low scoring on the Plantation course at Kapalua has come to be anticipated. Even with the Kona wind out of the other way, it hasn’t been sturdy sufficient to maintain the 59-player subject from attacking at will.
Scheffler was at 16-under 130, nonetheless solely good for a one-shot lead over jet-lagged Tyrrell Hatton of England, Brendon Todd and Sungjae Im.
“It is a kind of locations when you go on the market and play properly, you are going to get rewarded,” Scheffler stated. “In case you begin not hitting it in the appropriate spots, you may get in hassle. Simply received to maintain the pedal down.”
That is what Hatton did, irrespective of how drained he feels. He stated it took him simply over 25 hours to get from London to Maui, partially as a consequence of a mechanical delay on high of his three-hour layover in Los Angeles. He wasn’t feeling his greatest, and never simply from the lengthy flight.
After which he turned in a 62, his lowest spherical as a professional.
“Possibly a shock to do it within the second spherical again to start out the 12 months, after how lengthy I’ve had off,” Hatton stated. “I would not say I taken care of myself within the December interval; possibly that performed a small half. Yeah, so the physique hasn’t been shifting properly. I am positive when you had seen a few of the flight tracers of a few of my tee photographs, you’ll be disgusted.”
He attributed the 62 to a “mad day on the greens,” and that was capped by an eagle putt from slightly below 100 ft from off the inexperienced on the par-5 closing gap.
Hatton had just one par (and one bogey) on the again 9.
Todd had a 30 on the entrance 9 and a strong end for a 64, whereas Im had a 66. FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland made an eagle putt from simply over 50 ft on the closing gap for a 67 that left him two photographs again in a bunch that featured Collin Morikawa (67), Chris Kirk (65) and Byeong Hun An (64).
An is amongst seven gamers at Kapalua who’ve by no means received on the PGA Tour. The match was just for winners from the earlier 12 months and now could be expanded to incorporate anybody who completed among the many high 50 within the FedEx Cup.
Scoring has been so good — no totally different from the earlier two years — that Jordan Spieth had a 67 to remain inside three photographs of the lead, shrugged and stated, “Simply common.”
Certainly, the typical rating was 67.4 on Friday. All 59 gamers broke par.
Scheffler, after all, was hardly a shock. He had probably the greatest statistical years on the PGA Tour final 12 months — within the non-Tiger Woods division — which performed a giant half in him being voted PGA Tour Participant of the Yr for the second straight time.
He ended final 12 months by profitable towards the elite, 20-man subject on the Hero World Problem within the Bahamas. And right here on Maui, he has holed sufficient birdie putts and made some 6-footers for par alongside the best way to maintain momentum.
For Scheffler and in addition to he hits the ball, there is no such thing as a scarcity of alternatives.
“I performed actually strong,” he stated. “The few occasions I received into hassle, I received out fairly fast and hit some good pitches and a pair good putts as properly.”
Hatton, Todd and Im had already set the goal when Scheffler reached the scoring a part of the again 9, and the Texan took benefit. He holed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 12, hit wedge up the hill to eight ft on the thirteenth, drove into the bunker on the reachable 14th and blasted out to 2 ft, and made it 4 straight birdies on No. 15 with a wedge he clipped completely to six ft.
The Kona wind made the 667-yard 18th play all of that, although it’s downhill with a quick fairway. Scheffler hit 5-iron to the inexperienced Thursday, and the wind precipitated him to hit 3-iron on Friday.
“A superb 3-iron,” he stated.
“It is a ton of enjoyable to play,” Scheffler stated. “It is positively the place all people desires to start out their 12 months. Numerous fairways are actually large, however a few of them do not play practically as large as they’re. You have to hit good photographs, form the ball alternative ways and do loads of totally different stuff in an effort to play properly out right here.”
DIVOTS: Todd is considered one of many gamers who switched caddies this 12 months. He’s utilizing Paul Tesori, whom Cameron Young fired on the finish of final 12 months. Younger now has Wayne De Haas, who caddies at Seminole Golf Membership and has labored often for Ernie Els on the PGA Tour Champions. … Hatton and Brian Harman are going to the Sony Open subsequent week after which straight from Honolulu to Dubai for a European tour occasion.
