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  • February 11, 2025
Hero World Challenge – The Hindu

Hero World Challenge – The Hindu

Striking: Bhatia made seven birdies, three of which were on par-5 holes.

Notable: Bhatia made seven birdies, including three on par-5 holes.

Scottie Scheffler was in a hurry to assert his supremacy as the second round of the Hero World Challenge kicked off under clear skies at the Albany track on Friday.

The defending champion recorded seven birdies on the front nine (making par on the fifth and eighth) and another in the 14th, returning an 8-under 64 card and a two-day total of 131 for a two-stroke lead. about fellow major winner Justin Thomas and the fast-rising Akshay Bhatia.

“I didn’t really have to make many long birdie putts on the front nine. I was just very solid on the greens and was able to hit it close,” was the businesslike answer from the world number 1 to a question about making six birdies over the first seven holes.

While Thomas, second on the night, played characteristically well for a 67, with five birdies and a drop shot, it was debutant Bhatia who caught the eye.

The 22-year-old, wiry leftie with two PGA Tour titles to his name, made seven birdies, three of which were on par-5 holes, but also had a bogey on the eighth hole. With 14 birdies, he is tied with Scheffler for the most birdies through two rounds.

For night leader Cameron Young it was a round to forget. From age 64 onwards he faced the horrors of six bogeys and one double bogey (at the 18th), and a 75 pushed him into a tie for 10th on the leaderboard.

Leading scores (after second round): 131: Scottie Scheffler (67, 64); 133: Akshay Bhatia (67.66), Justin Thomas (66, 67); 135: Keegan Bradley (68, 67); 137: Sepp Straka (69, 68), Sungjae Im (69, 68), Ludwig Aberg (67, 70)

(The writer is in Nassau at the invitation of Hero MotoCorp)