Cameron Younger leads Hero; new driver for Justin Thomas; new grip for Scottie Scheffler

NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler introduced a brand new placing grip to the Hero World Problem and felt sufficient enchancment to be glad with the consequence, a 5-under 67 that left him three pictures behind Cameron Younger on Thursday.

Younger was taking part in for the primary time for the reason that BMW Championship greater than three months in the past and located nice success on and across the greens of Albany Golf Membership, chipping superbly and holing 4 birdie putts from 15 ft or longer for his 64.

He led by two pictures over Justin Thomas in his first competitors since his daughter was born just a few weeks in the past. Thomas ran off 4 straight birdies late in his spherical and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth.

The massive shock was Scheffler, the No. 1 participant in golf who appeared pretty much as good as he has all yr in compiling eight victories, together with an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His placing at occasions has stored him from successful extra or successful greater. He determined to attempt to a claw placing grip from about 20 ft or nearer — the putter rests between his proper thumb and his fingers, together with his left index finger pointed down the shaft.

“I’m at all times on the lookout for methods to enhance,” Scheffler mentioned.

Scheffler final yr started working with famend placing teacher Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon talked about the choice placing grip again then.

“However it was actually our first time working collectively and it’s one thing that’s completely different than what I’ve carried out up to now,” Scheffler mentioned. “This yr I had considered it occasionally, and it was one thing that we had simply mentioned let’s desk that for the top of the season, check out it.

“Figured this can be a good week to attempt stuff.”

The world No. 1 applied the claw grip for shorter putts in Spherical 1 of the Hero World Problem.

He opened with a wedge to 2 ft and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. However he holed a birdie from about the identical distance on the subsequent par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save lots of par.

His longest putt was his final gap, from 12 ft for a closing birdie.

“I actually loved the way in which it felt,” he mentioned. “I felt like I’m seeing some enhancements in my stroke.”

Younger, thought to be the most effective energetic participant with no PGA Tour victory, is treating this vacation match as the beginning of a brand new season. He labored on getting stronger and bought again to the fundamentals in his highly effective golf swing.

And on this present day, he was dialed in together with his brief recreation. He solely struggled to save lots of par twice and stored piling up birdies in his bogey-free spherical on a perfect day within the Bahamas.

“The wind wasn’t blowing a lot so it was comparatively stress-free,” Younger mentioned.

Patrick Cantlay, together with Scheffler taking part in for the primary time for the reason that Presidents Cup, additionally was at 67 with Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala.

Thomas additionally took this event to do some experimenting in opposition to a 20-man area. He has utilizing a 46-inch driver at house — slightly greater than an inch longer than his common driver — in a bid to achieve extra pace. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he determined to place it in play.