Defending champion Viktor Hovland takes a one-stroke lead at the Hero World Challenge over four players who competed for the United States at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Scottie Scheffler, who finished runner-up in 2021, would return to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking with a win.
Related: Viktor Hovland begins title defence in right earnest in Bahamas
Making his debut in the tournament, Joohyung Kim adds a 72 to his opening 69 for solo sixth place on 3-under.
Hovland (1st/-5) recorded a 2-under 70 (first score in the 70s in career six rounds at the event).
He leads the field with two eagles (No. 14/R1, No. 6/R2); Scheffler is the only other player that has made an eagle this week (No. 15/R1).
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Hovland has held the 36-hole lead/co-lead in three official individual stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR (1-for-3): 2020 Puerto Rico Open (Won), 2021 Farmers Insurance Open (T2), 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (T2).
Has one successful title defence on the PGA TOUR: 2021 World Wide Technology Championship.
One player has successfully defended a Hero World Challenge title: Tiger Woods, 2007 (at Sherwood Country Club).
Scheffler (T2/-4) will return to World No. 1 with a win; Rory McIlroy moved to No. 1 on October 23, snapping Scheffler’s streak of 30 consecutive weeks in the top position.
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Has two top-10s in three starts on TOUR during the fall portion of the 2022-23 season (T3/World Wide Technology Championship, T9/Cadence Bank Houston Open).
Xander Schauffele (T2/-4), who entered the week No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is making his fourth start in the event (best result: T8, 2018).
Schauffele has made one start in an official event on TOUR this season (T9/ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP).
Cameron Young (T2/-4) is one of seven players in the field making his tournament debut; Young recorded five runner-up finishes on TOUR last season and was voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.
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Collin Morikawa (T2/-4) held a five-stroke lead entering the final round in 2021 and recorded a 4-over 76 to finish T5 (would have moved to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career with a victory in 2021).
