Cameron Young Leads Hero World Challenge After Opening Round

Cameron Young of the United States holds a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas hosted by Tiger Woods. Young, 27, shot a bogey-free 64 at Albany on Thursday to take control of the leaderboard. He finished ahead of fellow American Justin Thomas, who birdied four of the last five holes to sit in second place. Meanwhile, defending champion Scottie Scheffler trails by three shots at five under par tied with Akshay Bhatia, Patrick Cantlay, Sahith Theegala and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg.

Woods, who usually hosts the event is absent this year. The 48-year-old, who was expected to participate as a special invitee has not given a reason for his withdrawal. Woods has limited his competitive play in recent years due to ongoing injuries. Additionally, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre sits tied for eighth after shooting a 68 in the opening round four shots behind Young alongside Americans Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Nick Dunlap.

England’s Aaron Rai trails by three shots at one under par. Young ranked 38th in the world has impressed after earning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors in 2022. However, he has yet to win a PGA Tour title. He credited his strong performance to feeling comfortable with his driver and capitalizing on his early birdie putts. “It’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself,” Cameron Young said, reflecting on his solid start to the event.