– All paths led to a solid and commanding lead for Scottie Scheffler (-9) after the second round of the Hero World Challenge. Two strikes from the Number One in the form of a birdie on the 14th, with a great drive to the edge of the green and an exquisite chip, and a superb eagle on the 15th, sinking a more than notable putt of about seven metres hit with joy, placed him in the lead with three holes to go. These are the moments of great players. Those where you expect him to seal the deal with one or two more birdies… Not a chance.
– It was quite the opposite. Suddenly, an unexpected mistake from Scheffler occurred. Or rather, an unusual one. Not because of the mistake itself, but because of the concatenation of two mistakes on the same hole. On the 16th. Not even the oldest locals remember anything like it from the Texan neighbour. He missed the tee shot to the left, again, like yesterday, with the difference that this time he wasn’t lucky. The ball got embedded in a bush and ended up unplayable. First mistake.
He had to drop in a sandy area, those so-called waste areas so common at the Albany Golf Club in Bahamas. He still had a long shot to the green, but the ball was perfectly placed. A miscalculation, as he himself confessed after signing the card. He didn’t lift the ball enough, trying to ensure the prevailing headwind on this hole didn’t affect it too much, and ended up going through the highest leaves of another bush that was in his line to the green. The collision with the greenery reduced the distance of his shot, so he was still on the fairway hitting the fourth shot. Two putts confirmed the double bogey.
– Scheffler not only lost the chance to lead the tournament before the moving day, but he has opened the door to a pack. If he had any doubts, the Number One now knows that his rivals haven’t come to Bahamas to applaud him or give him a guard of honour. If he’s not sharp and makes mistakes, they will make it very difficult for him to win for the third consecutive time.
– There are no fewer than eight players separated by just one stroke. A curious jam. Up to five players are tied at the top with a total of -10: Akshay Bhatia, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, J.J. Spaun, and Cameron Young, who had the best round of the day with 64 strokes and the only one along with Scheffler who has managed to reach -11. Young was by far the best this Friday in Bahamas, and not just because of that eight-under-par round, but because he left them closer than anyone else. In fact, on the 18th, he missed a good opportunity from less than two metres.
– At the back of the pack are Jordan Spieth (+1) and Chris Gotterup (+3), the only two players over par after two rounds.
