– The Hero World Challenge has completed its first day and inevitably leaves us with one name above the rest. Exactly: it’s Scottie Scheffler (-6). The World Number One, after more than two months of competitive inactivity, has returned on the same path he has been on for three or four years now. The path of efficiency and outstanding results, the path of excellence, the steamroller path. The Texan, despite signing the only bogey on his card at the 18th hole, co-leads the tournament alongside a strong group of contenders including Akshay Bhatia (-6), J. J. Spaun (-6), Sepp Straka (-6), and Wyndham Clark (-6), so his chances of securing his third consecutive victory at this event remain intact.
– The Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas defends itself more effectively with the usual wind in the area, and today it hasn’t blown much, although Scheffler has achieved good results on this course in any conditions. In fact, this Thursday marked the thirteenth competitive round he’s played on this course, and all his cards have been under par. Moreover, only on one occasion did he not break seventy strokes…
– Anyway, let’s indulge: counting the 66 he delivered today, his average at Albany is 66.76 strokes per round, a true absurdity, even though it is a rather forgiving course.
– As is often the case with this player, it didn’t seem like he did anything extraordinary to score up to seven birdies, but then you dig deeper and find that he opened the account with a great putt on the 2nd hole from about eight metres, not to mention his precision from the tee on the two short par 4s of the course, holes 7 and 14. On the first, he left the ball at the edge of the green, and on the second, he was putting for eagle… Scottie had said in the days leading up that he was very happy with his new driver, and it was clear he feels comfortable, as he only missed two fairways.
– Scottie was carrying the yardage book of the Albany Golf Club with the Ryder Cup cover… And it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. Perhaps it’s a way to get over it, stroke by stroke, round by round. A significant way to show that the trauma or disappointment is behind him, after his disappointing performance at Bethpage.
– There’s a long way to go, and in reality, the leaderboard is very tight, with five leaders at the top and half of the competitors within just two strokes. But the main reference, once again, is the usual one. He is a Number One who acts as such almost always, even when he goes to the shower.
