Scottie Scheffler showed no sign of rust as the world number one returned from a two-month break to claim a share of the first-round lead at the Hero World Challenge.
Scheffler has not played individually since landing his sixth title of 2025 at the Procore Championship in September, having taken a break following the United States' Ryder Cup defeat later that month.
He looked set to lead outright as he made seven birdies at Albany in the Bahamas, before dropping his only shot of the day at the 18th.
At six under par Scheffler – who is chasing a hat-trick of victories in this event – was part of a five-way tie for the lead with compatriots Akshay Bhatia, Wyndham Clark and JJ Spaun and Austria’s Sepp Straka.
"I did some good stuff," Scheffler said in quotes reported by pgatour.com. "I felt like I could have shot a good amount lower.
"There’s always a little bit of a rust. Once you get into competition, I don’t really think about that stuff."
United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Canada's Corey Conners are a shot off the pace at five under, followed by the trio of Andrew Novak, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and England's Justin Rose.
Jordan Spieth, who has not competed since June while recovering from neck and back injuries, is tied for 17th at even par.
