Justin Thomas, competing for the first time since welcoming his daughter, finished strong with a score of 66, highlighted by four consecutive birdies late in his round.

Cameron Young opened the Hero World Challenge with a remarkable bogey-free round of 64, showcasing his skills with four birdies from 15 feet or longer.

Despite an early miss on a 7-foot birdie putt, Scheffler made significant improvements, including a 12-foot birdie on the final hole.

He described his performance as stress-free, attributing it to favorable conditions at Albany Golf Club and a focus on his short game fundamentals.

In an effort to boost his performance, Thomas experimented with a longer 46-inch driver, which increased his ball speed and distance.

Scottie Scheffler debuted a new claw putting grip during the tournament, finishing the first round with a score of 5-under 67, three shots behind Young.

The claw grip that Scheffler is using allows the putter to rest between his right thumb and fingers, a technique he developed with putting instructor Phil Kenyon.

Currently ranked No. 1 in golf, Scheffler is looking to enhance his putting performance, which has been a challenge despite his eight victories this year.

Patrick Cantlay also shot a 67, joining Scheffler in a tie with Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia, and Sahith Theegala.

Out of a 20-man field, only four players failed to break par, with Jason Day finishing last with a score of 75.