Justin Thomas seizes one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler at Hero World Challenge
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Justin Thomas playing a shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge.
PHOTO: AFP
MIAMI – Justin Thomas has been working on “the right things” and on Dec 7 he fired six birdies for a six-under 66 to grab a one-shot lead over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler heading into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.
Thomas, who started the day two strokes behind halfway leader Scheffler, began applying pressure with four birdies on the front nine at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas.
A 47-foot birdie putt at the 14th put him atop the leaderboard at 16 under and he made a three-foot birdie at the 16th to reach 17-under 199 through 54 holes at the unofficial event.
“I’m driving it great,” Thomas said. “I’ve had a lot of confidence with it.
“I feel like I’ve been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green.
“I’m still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that’s golf and we’re always going to say that,” added the American, who has not won on the PGA Tour since his second PGA Championship title in 2022.
A victory on Dec 8 would not count as a 16th PGA Tour title, but it would be a welcome payoff for his recent work.
“I’ve been progressing nicely, been working on all the right things,” he added. “(I) feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do.”
Scheffler, whose eight titles in 2024 included a second Masters green jacket and an Olympic gold medal, had four birdies and a bogey in his three-under 69 round.
His total of 200 put him one clear of South Korean Tom Kim, who carded a 62 for 201.
“I think it was decent,” Scheffler said.
“I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today.”
With increased winds making things tougher, Scheffler called Kim’s 10-under round “pretty serious golf”.
Kim opened with four straight birdies and rolled in a 19-foot birdie at the seventh, before a 23-footer at the ninth marked the start of a three-birdie burst, that included a 39-foot putt at the 10th.
A sub-60 round looked possible after he made three straight birdies from the 14th, including a 22-foot putt from off the green at the 16th.
But he fell back with a double-bogey at the par-three 17th. Kim produced one final flourish, however, holing out from a greenside bunker for birdie at No. 18.
“Did a lot of good things to keep my momentum going,” the South Korean said.
“Had a few crucial par saves. On 18, it’s just a bonus what happens on 18 after 17.
“You have such a good day and to kind of end it like that, it is a little disappointing, but for 18 to go in just kind of makes dinner taste a little better.” AFP, REUTERS