Who is leading the 2023 Hero World Challenge after Round 1? Day 1 leaderboard explored

Brian Harman and Tony Finau shot 5-under 67 in the first round of the Hero World Challenge, securing a joint single-stroke lead over Jordan Spieth by the end of the day.

While all eyes were on Tiger Woods' long-awaited return, it was Harman and Finau who stole the show at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas on the first day. Harman sank six birdies, including three back-to-back on holes 13–15. He would have held the solo lead if he hadn't missed the 24-foot putt on the par-4 18th.

Despite his struggles this year, Finau started strong with two birdies in the first three holes and finished the front nine at 2-under. After a bogey on the par-4 10th, he rebounded with four birdies in the next five holes.

Jordan Spieth had a bizarre day at Albany, as he carded a 4-under 68 despite making only five pars in his first round. He sank an eagle on the third and a birdie on the fifth, but then faced a setback, making a double on the par-5 sixth. Overall, his round included a couple of eagles, six birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey.

Woods made his return to the PGA Tour after a seven-month hiatus, following subtalar fusion surgery. He appeared to be walking fine, and there were glimpses of his vintage game. However, it was evident that he would need a few more rounds to regain his top form.

The 15-time major champion started well at the Hero World Challenge with a birdie on the third hole but followed it with a bogey on the next. He repeated the same on the following two holes. After 14 holes, he stood at 1-under with two more birdies and a bogey on the back nine.

However, on the par-5 15th, Woods' tee shot landed near a bush, leaving hardly any space to take a shot. Despite the challenging situation, he opted to go for the shot instead of choosing the unplayable option, managing to move the ball just a few inches ahead.

The five-time Hero World Challenge champion needed four more shots to put the ball in, settling for a double bogey. Two additional bogeys on the 16th and 17th resulted in him finishing with a 3-over 75, placing him eight strokes behind the leader.

Will Zalatoris, who is also returning after a long time, shot 9-over 81 on Thursday and was in the last position by the end of the first day.

Hero World Challenge leaderboard explored

Here's the complete leaderboard for the 2023 Hero World Challenge after the first round:

T1. Brian Harman: -5
T1. Tony Finau: -5
3. Jordan Spieth: -4
T4. Cameron Young: -3
T4. Scottie Scheffler: -3
T4. Collin Morikawa: -3
T4. Max Homa: -3
T8. Matt Fitzpatrick: -2
T8. Justin Thomas: -2
T10. Lucas Glover: -1
T10. Sam Burns: -1
T10. Jason Day: -1
T13. Sepp Straka E
T13. Keegan Bradley E
T13. Justin Rose E
16. Viktor Hovland: +1
17. Rickie Fowler: +2
18. Tiger Woods: +3
19. Wyndham Clark: +4
20. Will Zalatoris: +9