Young takes lead at World Challenge as Bhatia, Theegala are tied third with Scheffler

Albany [Bahamas], December 6 : Cameron Young made a stunning return to action at the 2024 World Challenge with a bogey-free opening round of 64, securing a two-shot lead over Justin Thomas (66), who made a late charge with four consecutive birdies from the 14th hole.
World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup in September, carded a solid 67. This marked his 11th round in the 60s out of 13 at this event, where he has previously finished second twice and first once. Scheffler was tied for third with Akshay Bhatia, Sahith Theegala, Ludvig Aberg, and Patrick Cantlay, all of whom shot 67.
Neither Young nor Thomas has won in recent times. Young is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory since joining in 2022, while Thomas's last win came at the 2022 PGA Championship. However, Thomas finished second in his most recent outing at the Zozo Championship in October and recently celebrated becoming a father.
Reflecting on his time off, Young said, "Yeah, just some work on myself physically and then just standard practice. I mean, it's a nice time to go back to all the really simple things, make them comfortable again, and get yourself really square, working on setup things."
Young, who recorded a 59 at the Travelers Championship in June this year, is still chasing his maiden PGA Tour win. In his HWC debut in 2022, he finished third and has since achieved five top-10 finishes in his last 13 majors, including a runner-up spot at the Open Championship at St. Andrews in 2022 and T-3 at the 2022 PGA Championship. Since mid-2022, Young has endured eight runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour. Determined to break that streak, Young picked up five birdies in his first eight holes and added three more on the back nine for a bogey-free 64.
Bhatia, whose only start since the Tour Championship in late August was the Dunlop Phoenix event in Japan two weeks ago (where he finished tied second), expressed satisfaction with his 67. "I played the par 5s pretty well today. I haven't played much competitive golf, so I was a little more nervous. All in all, it was pretty good. I have this new prototype driver in the bag, which is a big thing for me. I felt like my driving stats last year went downhill a little. I was fighting a two-way miss, making good swings. Some weeks it was good, and some weeks it just wasn't there," he said.
Theegala, who celebrated his 27th birthday earlier in the week, finished strongly with four birdies on the back nine after a modest 1-under front nine. "Playing this event has always been a big thing," said Theegala, who joined the tie for third with his 67.
Scheffler, who won seven times in 2024, including an Olympic gold medal, also carded 67. This marked his 11th round in the 60s out of 13 at the HWC since his debut in 2021. His previous results at this event are 2-2-1. Scheffler experimented with a new grip for his putting, which he used selectively depending on the length of the putt. He explained, "Typically, the further I am from the hole, the more likely I am to use the conventional grip. I feel like my speed has always been extremely good, especially from long range. The closer I get to the hole, within that 15-foot range, I think that's where I'm seeing the most benefits."
Thomas, making his first start in six weeks following a runner-up finish at the Zozo Championship, was also satisfied with his 67. "Definitely pleased, especially with how the start was. I just wasn't taking advantage of any of the par 5s or scoring holes, and I wasn't making anything at all. Hit some good putts, hit some really bad putts, but I felt like I was maybe trying a little too hard to get it going," he said.
Meanwhile, Dunlap reached 7-under at one stage but dropped a shot on the 16th and stumbled into thick vegetation on the 18th, resulting in a double bogey. He finished at 4-under and was tied for eighth alongside Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, and Keegan Bradley, all of whom shot 68.