Summary
At the Hero World Challenge, Cameron Young and JJ Spaun, along with three other players, share the lead after an intense second round at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. US Open champion JJ Spaun converted two of his three eagle opportunities, while Cameron Young carded an impressive 30 on the back nine. Hideki Matsuyama, meanwhile, remained bogey-free throughout his round.
Scottie Scheffler, who had briefly taken the lead, failed to maintain his position. After sinking an 18-foot eagle on the 15th hole, Scheffler found himself at -11, but his lead quickly evaporated. On the 16th hole, his tee shot veered off course, and he had to take a penalty stroke to get out of a bush, resulting in a double bogey.
Akshay Bhatia, who also performed well, closed with a birdie on the 18th hole and finished with a 68, joining Spaun, Matsuyama, Young and US Open champion Wyndham Clark, all with a total of -10, 134.
In total, almost half of the 20 players in the tournament are separated by only two strokes, promising an exciting weekend.
Key details
Spaun, who made only five eagles all season, excelled on the scoring holes, sinking a 3-wood to 3 feet on the 6th and a tee shot on the 14th that stopped at 5 feet. Despite a rocky start with two bogeys in the first four holes, Spaun was pleased: “I didn’t get off to a great start, but I salvaged a pretty decent round,” he said.
Bhatia, playing in his last tournament before getting married, had to fight back at the end, but managed a par on the 16th and a bogey on the 17th, maintaining his performance. This tournament marks the debut of his new caddie, Joe Greiner, who has previously worked with Max Homa.
Scheffler finished with a 69, tied at -9 with Alex Noren and Sepp Straka, while former Albany resident Justin Rose was one stroke back with a 68. “I did some good things, but I made too many mistakes. Overall, I felt good,” Scheffler said.
Billy Horschel, with a 68, is five strokes behind. After missing much of the season due to hip surgery, he is the only player in the field who has not yet secured his place at the Masters. He is currently ranked 45th in the world, and a good round could change his situation.
