Justin Thomas seizes one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler at Hero World Challenge
MIAMI – Justin Thomas has been focusing on “the right things,” and on December 7, he fired six birdies for a six-under 66, putting him in the lead by one shot over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler heading into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.
Starting the day two strokes behind the halfway leader Scheffler, Thomas quickly started to apply pressure with four birdies on the front nine at the Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. A spectacular 47-foot birdie putt at the 14th hole moved him to the top of the leaderboard at 16-under, followed by a three-foot putt for birdie at the 16th, bringing his total to 17-under 199 through 54 holes in this 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.” He acknowledged that he still hasn’t completely taken advantage of those opportunities but remained optimistic, noting, “that’s golf, and we’re always going to say that.” This tournament marks a significant moment for Thomas, who has not secured a victory on the PGA Tour since clinching his second PGA Championship title in 2022.
A win on December 8 would not count as his 16th PGA Tour title, but it would symbolize a rewarding culmination of his recent efforts. Thomas commented, “I’ve been progressing nicely, been working on all the right things. I feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do.”
Scheffler, who achieved eight titles in 2024, including his second Masters green jacket and an Olympic gold medal, had a solid day with four birdies and one bogey, finishing with a three-under 69. His score of 16-under par, totaling 200, secured him a spot just ahead of South Korean Tom Kim, who shot an impressive 62 for a total of 201.
“I think it was decent,” Scheffler reflected. “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 increasing winds making conditions more challenging, he acknowledged Kim’s ten-under round as “pretty serious golf.”
Kim made a strong start with four consecutive birdies, adding a 19-foot birdie at the seventh and a 23-footer at the ninth. He maintained momentum with a remarkable three-birdie burst, capped by a 39-foot putt at the 10th. As he continued to excel, a sub-60 round seemed within reach, particularly after he notched three additional birdies at the 14th, 15th, and 16th, rolling in a 22-foot putt from off the green at the 16th.
However, Kim stumbled with a double-bogey at the par-three 17th hole. In a display of resilience, he managed to finish strong by holing out from a greenside bunker for a birdie at the 18th.
