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KAPALUA, Hawaii — A brand new 12 months, the identical outdated Scottie Scheffler.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 discipline 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 type of locations should you go on the market and play effectively, you are going to get rewarded,” Scheffler stated. “Should you begin not hitting it in the appropriate spots, you may get in bother. Simply acquired to maintain the pedal down.”
That is what Hatton did, regardless of how drained he feels. He stated it took him simply over 25 hours to get from London to Maui, partly attributable to 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.
“Perhaps 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 effectively. I am positive should you had seen among the flight tracers of a few of my tee pictures, 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 stable 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 pictures again in a gaggle 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 gained on the PGA Tour. The match was just for winners from the earlier 12 months, and now’s expanded to incorporate anybody who completed among the many high 50 within the FedEx Cup.
Scoring has been so good — no completely different from the earlier two years — that Jordan Spieth had a 67 to remain inside three pictures 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 12 months for the second straight time.
He ended final 12 months by successful in opposition to the elite, 20-man discipline on the Hero World Problem within the Bahamas. And right here on Maui, he is holed sufficient birdie putts and made some 6-footers for par alongside the way in which to maintain momentum.
For Scheffler and in addition to he hits the ball, there isn’t a scarcity of alternatives.
“I performed actually stable,” he stated. “The few instances I acquired into bother I acquired out fairly fast and hit some good pitches and a pair good putts as effectively.”
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 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 on Thursday, and the wind brought on him to hit 3-iron on Friday.
“An excellent 3-iron,” he stated.
“It is a ton of enjoyable to play,” Scheffler stated. “It is undoubtedly the place all people needs to start out their 12 months. Loads of fairways are actually vast, however a few of them do not play almost as vast as they’re. You have to hit good pictures, form the ball other ways and do a whole lot of completely different stuff with the intention to play effectively out right here.”
DIVOTS: Todd is a part of 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 Hass, 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.
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