World primary Scottie Scheffler fired two eagles in his seven-under par 65 to construct a three-shot lead on the Hero World Problem on Saturday as Tiger Woods continued his comeback with a one-under 71.
Fifteen-time Main winner Woods, taking part in his first match since ankle surgical procedure in April that adopted his withdrawal from the Masters, shook off a bogey-bogey begin to card a one-under par 71 that left him at even par, 16 strokes behind Scheffler and tied for sixteenth within the 20-player occasion he hosts on the Albany Golf Course within the Bahamas.
Woods stated he’d been “pleasantly stunned” at how his physique has held up, which was extra of a priority than the state of his recreation.
Watch each spherical of the PGA Tour LIVE & Unique on Fox Sports activities, accessible on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin Your Free Trial At present >
“I nonetheless have recreation,” he stated. “It’s whether or not or not the physique can do it.”
Woods, who turns 48 on December 30, had ankle surgical procedure in April on the identical leg that was severely injured in a 2021 automobile crash. Whereas his leg ache is gone, he stated he nonetheless contends with continual again ache, however stated earlier than the match he may play as a lot as as soon as a month in 2024.
On Saturday he began 10 off the tempo and received off to an inauspicious begin with bogeys on the first and second.
He clawed again with birdies on the third, sixth eighth and ninth — the place he received up and down from a greenside bunker — earlier than two bogeys and a birdie coming in. That included a seven-foot par putt miss on the 18th.
“It may have been a bit of higher than the rating signifies,” Woods stated. “I feel I may have shot one thing within the excessive 60s. I feel it was cleaner than it was yesterday.”
Most significantly, Woods stated, he was “very excited” at how he has responded bodily to the tempo of competitors.
“To have the ability to knock off a few of the rust as I’ve this week, confirmed myself that I can get well each day, that was sort of an unknown,” he stated. “I’m very excited how the week’s turned out.”
Scheffler, in the meantime, was in cruise management, beginning the day tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth and seizing management with a 15-foot eagle on the third.
He added 4 birdies earlier than he rolled in a 14-foot eagle at 15 to push his result in 4 strokes over England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who additionally signed for a 65.
A bogey at 18, the place Scheffler’s drive was in the correct tough, lower that by one, giving him a 16-under par complete of 200.
“I performed rather well in the present day, actually strong the entire day,” stated Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion who has completed runner-up on this occasion the previous two years.
“(It’s) good to see some putts go in. These greens may be robust to putt at occasions, however I’m rolling it good.”
Fitzpatrick had climbed the leaderboard with 4 birdies on the entrance 9. After a double-bogey on the eleventh he birdied 12 and 14 earlier than draining a 47-foot eagle putt at 15.
He bogeyed 16, however closed with back-to-back birdies for a 13-under par complete of 203.
“It was good for just about the entire spherical bar two holes,” Fitzpatrick stated. “Drive on 11 was simply what price me, clearly, a double. Exterior of that, every part was good in the present day.”
American Justin Thomas was alone in third after a four-under par 68 for 205.
Spieth, who was taking part in catch-up after his bogey on the third dropped him three off the tempo, completed with 4 birdies and three bogeys in his 71 for 206, tied for fourth with Australian Jason Day and People Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa.