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No. 14 Ole Miss seeks consolation win over Miss. State in Egg BowlJewish community to come together after firebomb attack at Melbourne synagogue as police investigate bullet found outside

With an important regular-season finale ending a short week, Mississippi has watched its dreams shift from national success to perhaps something it certainly did not want on Thanksgiving weekend: An Egg Bowl that holds only regional significance and statewide bragging rights. After their third and disappointing defeat, the No. 14 Rebels will play Friday afternoon in their annual Egg Bowl matchup against rival Mississippi State in the intrastate series in Oxford, Miss. It will not be easy putting aside the catastrophic 24-17 loss at Florida last Saturday, a soul-crushing setback that all but ended any College Football Playoff aspirations for the most talented Rebels team assembled in a long time. Coach Lane Kiffin's team slid five spots to 14th in the latest CFP rankings. The offseason outlook was rosy when Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC) shelled out big NIL money and added the top portal class to fill a roster that won 11 games in 2023. But the Rebels repeatedly shot themselves in the foot Saturday against the Gators. Ole Miss' high-powered offense turned the ball over three times, went 3 of 14 on third down, failed on two fourth-down attempts, dropped five passes and missed a field goal. Before the game, ABC's broadcast noted that the Rebels had an 84 percent chance to make the CFP. Following the loss, that number dwindled to four percent. The only way the Oxford school gets in is if there is the repeated chaos of Week 13, one that talk show host Paul Finebaum called "the most SEC carnage" he had ever seen. The Egg Bowl has been played on Thanksgiving Day 23 times, including 2017 to last season, but Kiffin feels the afternoon start on Friday is an advantage. "It helps them to know that playoffs are still alive and they get kind of the first shot to show everybody on a national stage," Kiffin said Monday, "as opposed to a Saturday game where these people that make the decisions don't necessarily see all the games because so many are going on." For the second time this month, Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby will lead his last-place Bulldogs (2-9, 0-7) against a former boss. The 40-year-old head coach faced Tennessee and coach Josh Heupel, who had Lebby on his staff at UCF in 2018 and 2019, in a 33-14 loss on Nov. 9. Now he will face Kiffin, whom he was paired with in 2020 and 2021 in their first two seasons at Ole Miss when the school led the SEC in total offense. A frequent social media user who enjoys trolling others, Kiffin took a jab at Lebby and Mississippi State when the first-year coach was hired. "We've traded texts throughout the season and had communication," Lebby said Monday. "But no, not this week. He'll continue to find ways to have fun on social. That's who he's always been and who he'll always be." Ole Miss owns a 65-46-6 series advantage and has claimed five of the past seven matches, including a 35-3 "Egg Brawl" victory by the Bulldogs in 2018 that was later vacated. Another loss to the Rebels would give MSU its first winless SEC season since 2002. --Field Level MediaFairfield 72, Wake Forest 65

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Redfin RDFN , and it's important for retail traders to take note.\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in RDFN often signals that someone has privileged information. Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 14 options trades for Redfin. This is not a typical pattern. The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 35% bullish and 57% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $210,000, and 13 calls, totaling $551,896. Projected Price Targets After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $9.0 and $20.0 for Redfin, spanning the last three months. Volume & Open Interest Development Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Redfin's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Redfin's whale trades within a strike price range from $9.0 to $20.0 in the last 30 days. Redfin Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Largest Options Trades Observed: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume RDFN PUT TRADE BEARISH 12/27/24 $0.7 $0.55 $0.7 $9.00 $210.0K 10 3.0K RDFN CALL SWEEP BULLISH 01/16/26 $1.9 $1.9 $1.9 $20.00 $114.0K 8.7K 978 RDFN CALL SWEEP BEARISH 01/16/26 $4.1 $3.9 $3.9 $10.00 $68.2K 3.1K 29 RDFN CALL SWEEP BEARISH 02/21/25 $1.65 $1.6 $1.6 $11.00 $48.0K 1.5K 517 RDFN CALL SWEEP BEARISH 05/16/25 $1.45 $1.4 $1.4 $15.00 $41.8K 1.0K 825 About Redfin Redfin Corp is a residential real estate broker. It pairs its agents with the technology to create a service that is faster and costs less. The company meets customers through a listings-search website and mobile application. The company uses the same combination of technology and local service to originate mortgage loans and offer title and settlement services. It has five operating segments and three reportable segments, real estate services, rentals, and mortgage. The company generates the majority of its revenue from Real estate services. In light of the recent options history for Redfin, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Current Position of Redfin Trading volume stands at 7,177,454, with RDFN's price up by 3.71%, positioned at $9.5. RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought. Earnings announcement expected in 92 days. What The Experts Say On Redfin Over the past month, 4 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $8.8125. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access .* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on Redfin with a target price of $8. * An analyst from Wedbush has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Redfin, which currently sits at a price target of $10. * An analyst from Susquehanna persists with their Neutral rating on Redfin, maintaining a target price of $10. * An analyst from DA Davidson has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Redfin, which currently sits at a price target of $7. Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Redfin options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.None

Middle East latest: An Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital kills a teen in a wheelchairWelcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk , an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today’s edition, senior national political reporter chats with the new 35-year-old chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus about where Democrats went wrong in the 2024 election. Plus, senior national political reporter Jonathan Allen breaks down why Pete Hegseth faces such a steep uphill climb to become the next defense secretary. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Where House progressives’ new leader thinks Democrats went wrong By Sahil Kapur The Democratic Party messed up in the 2024 election, says Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, the newly elected chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and it needs a dramatic course shift to rediscover its brand and put winning “above being right.” In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News on Wednesday, one day before he was officially elected as chair, Casar laid out his vision for the future, saying that Democrats need to return to their roots as the party of the working class. That means welcoming voters who disagree with the left on cultural issues and not being “seen as preachy or disconnected.” Following a devastating defeat to President-elect Donald Trump that Casar insists was avoidable, the congressman said Democrats must refocus their core identity on helping workers and increasing wages — but do so “without throwing vulnerable people under the bus.” He rejected the view that Democrats need to turn against immigrants or transgender people after Trump campaigned heavily on those issues against Vice President Kamala Harris. Instead, Casar said Democrats should change course by redirecting such attacks and accusing the GOP of fueling culture wars to district voters from their agenda of helping the rich get richer. “The progressive movement needs to change. We need to re-emphasize core economic issues every time some of these cultural war issues are brought up,” Casar said. “So when we hear Republicans attacking queer Americans again, I think the progressive response needs to be that a trans person didn’t deny your health insurance claim, a big corporation did — with Republican help.” “We need to connect the dots for people that the Republican Party obsession with these culture war issues is driven by Republicans’ desire to distract voters and have them look away while Republicans pick their pocket,” he added. Casar, 35, from Austin, ran unopposed for progressive chair to take the reins from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who is term-limited. It’s a rapid rise for the native Texan and son of immigrants from Mexico, who was a labor organizer and Austin City Council member before winning his second term in the House last month. Casar’s remarks add to an intense debate within the Democratic Party in which some blame Harris’ defeat on the excesses of the left, imposing social litmus tests that alienated large swaths of working-class voters. Harris was dogged by some stances she took in her first run for president in 2019, most notably her endorsement of gender-affirming care for inmates , including those in the country illegally, paid by taxpayers, which Trump used to depict her as disconnected from ordinary Americans. Casar believes the median voter stands to the left of the Democratic Party’s mainstream on economic issues, and he admitted that, at least today, the median voter is more culturally conservative than his party. He said the solution is to lead without getting too far ahead of where that voter is on social issues. “I think we should lead the country, but we should never be more than an arm’s length ahead,” Casar said. “If we get more than a couple arms lengths ahead of the country, then you’re vulnerable to attacks from the Republicans.” Read more from the interview → A bad sign for Pete Hegseth’s prospects By Jonathan Allen It’s a bad sign for Pete Hegseth’s defense secretary bid that he is now promising not to drink “a drop of alcohol” if the Senate confirms him for the job. There’s a precedent for the Senate rejecting a Pentagon pick — former Sen. John Tower in 1989 — after concerns over drinking came into focus. With Tower, there were other issues: alleged conflicts of interest. And Hegseth’s selection is in such deep trouble because he is also fighting a multifront war. His qualifications for the job are nontraditional. He’s never led an organization nearly the size of the Pentagon or served in a high-ranking post in the military. Instead of fighting a single battle, there are now at least four prongs for his critics to attack: lack of qualification, reports of alcohol abuse , alleged inappropriate treatment of women and an accusation of sexual assault , all of which Hegseth has denied. Any of those, if true, could be reason enough for the Senate to reject a candidate. Senators are not required to choose one reason — or any reason — to justify their votes against a nominee. More importantly, they don’t have to make any public pronouncement at all — not even a vote — if the majority leader doesn’t bring a nomination to the floor. Surely, some Republican senators hope that, as happened with Matt Gaetz’s selection to run the Justice Department, quiet threats to vote no are enough to scuttle the pick without them having to cast votes against President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee. But even if Hegseth gets a vote in January, a good rule of watching the Senate is that baggage tends to compound. Senators may be willing to defend Hegseth on any one of the marks against him. But all four? It will be a surprise to many in Washington if he’s confirmed. That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if you’re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here .

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks were struggling a week ago, coming off their bye having lost five of their last six games. That included a gut-punch overtime defeat at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3. The outlook for the last-place Seahawks (5-5) was beginning to look grim. They suddenly have renewed optimism this week after an uplifting victory over the San Francisco 49ers that snapped a six-game losing streak against their arch-rival that dated to 2021. Seattle will play the first-place Arizona Cardinals (6-4) on Sunday for a share of the NFC West lead. How quickly things change in the NFL. “We’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point.” The win over the 49ers, which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Geno Smith with 18 seconds left, put the Seahawks in a much better place mentally than they’d been in over the previous six weeks. They’re hoping it’s just the start of something even bigger. “It can just spark something that you’ve been looking for this whole year,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “I know we started off very hot with the first three games, but, you know, when adversity hit, it’s all about how you respond. I think we responded the right way, and it’s going to carry us throughout the rest of the season.” While the Seahawks are feeling better this week, the Cardinals have plenty of reason to feel optimistic, too. After starting the season 2-4, Arizona has won four straight to put itself in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals have a defense that is making big strides under the leadership of veteran safety Budda Baker and a top-five running game behind the dual threat of running back James Conner, who has 697 yards rushing, and quarterback Kyler Murray, who seems to be hitting his stride in his sixth NFL season. Murray has 2,058 yards passing with 12 touchdowns, and has rushed for 371 yards and four scores. Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has been impressed with Murray’s improved decision-making as Murray has thrown just three interceptions through 10 games. “There’s times that he probably wants to try to thread it a little bit, but understands when to pick and choose his spots,” Gannon said. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job with that and there are a lot of times throughout the game where you could say we like to put it in the quarterback’s hands, and you trust him to make the right decision for that point in the game.” Reunited Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will see a familiar face on the other sideline Sunday in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., who was Smith-Njigba’s college teammate at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. The pair each caught three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ wild win over Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl, with Smith-Njigba having 347 yards receiving on what was a 573-passing yard day for C.J. Stroud, now the quarterback of the Houston Texans. “Late his freshman year, he really just stood out,” Smith-Njigba said of Harrison. “You could just see the growth and kind of who he is becoming. ... He’s passed a lot of people’s expectations, of course, but I knew he was going to be elite later on freshman year.” MVP-level Murray Murray is coming off one of the best games of his career after completing 22 of 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Jets two weeks ago. He also ran for 21 yards and two TDs. Murray currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in quarterback rating behind Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. That has put him in the MVP conversation, particularly since Arizona has won four straight games. “I don’t play the game for the validation of others,” Murray said. “But as a player, of course, sometimes the recognition and the words being said feel good. But it doesn’t satisfy me.” Defensive improvement The most surprising part of Arizona’s four-game winning streak is the rapid improvement of the defense, which has allowed just 9 and 6 points, respectively, over the past two games. No touchdowns have been allowed – just five field goals. It’s just the second time over the past 30 years that the franchise has allowed 10 points or less over back-to-back games. Baker, a Bellevue native and former University of Washington football star, is the unquestioned leader of the bunch – he already has 100 tackles over 10 games - but the team also has a strong core of linebackers in Kyzir White, Mack Wilson and Zaven Collins. Metcalf and Baker have gone up against each other many times before, most famously when on an interception return in 2020. “You really can’t prepare for a guy like that because his engine never stops,” Metcalf said. “He’s always going to be around the ball. He’s always going to affect the game with just his play effort and play style. ... Just got to try to minimize his playmaking ability as much as we can on offense.” ___ AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix, Arizona, contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL:

By DEVNA BOSE One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | NASA’s stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go National News | Imprisoned Proud Boys leader balks at answering a prosecutor’s questions about Capitol attack National News | 7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.Disney Store’s Black Friday Sale Is Here With up to 50% off Deals

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Atmos Energy Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitorsExecutives from BVC Advisors LLC, Salesforce, CDC, Randstad North America, Interface, Clario, & Southern Poverty Law Center Recognized for their Achievements 2024 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards Winners Meet the Winners of the 2024 GeorgiaCIO #ORBIE Awards! "Great CIOs know technology moves fast, and connected leaders move faster, which makes the ORBIE® Awards significant,” said Brian Benn, GeorgiaCIO Chair. "Winners are selected by CIOs who understand the demands of technology leadership. GeorgiaCIO ORBIE® Awards recognize the leadership excellence of CIOs transforming Georgia's economy.” The 2024 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Award winners are: ›› Bill VanCuren, President, BVC Advisors LLC, received the Lifetime Achievement ORBIE. ›› Juan Perez, EVP & CIO, Salesforce, received the Super Global ORBIE for organizations over $15 billion annual revenue & multinational operations. ›› Suzi Connor, CIO, CDC, received the Global ORBIE for organizations over $2 billion annual revenue & multinational operations. ›› Alan Stukalsky, CIO, Randstad North America, received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $2.5 billion annual revenue. ›› Jake Elson, VP, CIO, Interface, received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations up to $1.2 billion annual revenue. ›› Jay Ferro, EVP, Chief Information, Technology, & Product Officer, Clario, received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations over $500 million annual revenue. ›› Arun Kandel, CIO, Southern Poverty Law Center, received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $500 million annual revenue. The ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program in the United States. Since its inception in 1998, over 500 technology leaders have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. The ORBIE honors chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. Finalists and winners are selected by an independent peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients, based upon: ›› Leadership and management effectiveness ›› Business value created by technology innovation ›› Engagement in industry and community endeavors The GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards keynote was delivered by Bill VanCuren, President, BVC Advisors LLC, who was interviewed by Marcia Calleja-Matsko, CIO, OneDigital. Over 700 guests attended, representing leading Georgia organizations and their technology partners. The 2024 GeorgiaCIO ORBIE Awards was made possible by the following sponsors: ›› Underwriters: Google Cloud, Kanini, Lumen, Palo Alto Networks, & Slalom Consulting ›› Gold sponsors: Capgemeni, Deloitte, Fortinet, iVision, & Verinext ›› Silver sponsors: Big Panda, Cloudflare, HCL Tech, McKinsey & Company, Mulesoft, Tata Consultancy Services, & Zscaler ›› Bronze sponsors: AHEAD, Amdocs, Between Pixels, Blue Wave, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bullhorn, Celsior, Comcast, Genpact, HCL Tech, Infosys, Island, Juniper Networks, MicroStrategy, Moveworks, PwC, RedEye Network Solutions, Stefanini, & T-Mobile ›› Media partner: Atlanta Business Chronicle ›› National Partner: Year Up United ›› About GeorgiaCIO GeorgiaCIO is the preeminent peer leadership network of Georgia chief information officers. GeorgiaCIO is one of over 40 chapters of the Inspire Leadership Network, a national membership organization comprised exclusively of CIOs from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare and nonprofit institutions. GeorgiaCIO is led by a CIO Advisory Board, supported by an executive director and staff. Underwriter executives ensure programs remain non-commercial and exclusive to qualified CIOs and members. ›› About Inspire Leadership Network The preeminent executive peer leadership network of c-suite technology and security leaders. With over 1,700 members across over 40 local chapters, Inspire members serve in c-level leadership of public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare, and non-profit institutions. Inspire exists to help leaders thrive in today's most challenging executive roles. Media Contact Lexi Baltes [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd257af4-fbd2-4030-986e-f98d872a06c6

A piece of individual brilliance from Daizen Maeda earned Celtic a Champions League point after an incredible blunder from Cameron Carter-Vickers gifted Club Brugge the lead at Parkhead. There was little surprise that Brugge took the lead in the 26th minute but the manner of the goal was a total shock. Nicolas Kuhn was forced into his own box as Brugge pressed and laid the ball off for Carter-Vickers, who passed back without looking. Kasper Schmeichel was at the opposite side of his goal to where the defender guessed and the ball rolled into the corner of the net. Celtic struggled to make inroads until Maeda took centre stage on the hour mark. The wide player's Cruyff turn set up the chance to shoot from a tight angle and he curled in off the post. Brugge had a goal disallowed before Celtic finished the game on top as they moved on to eight points ahead of their trip to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb on December 10. The Belgians imposed themselves on the game from the start, with Celtic struggling to get out of their half. Centre-forward Ferran Jutgla came close from 20 yards after Reo Hatate had showed too much of the ball to an opposing midfielder. Former Brugge B team player Arne Engels fired well over from a half-chance but that was a rare foray forward for Celtic in the opening quarter. The visitors were playing through Celtic's midfield and Andreas Skov Olsen curled just wide. Despite the visitors' superiority, Schmeichel had not had a save to make before being beaten by Carter-Vickers. The Celtic goalkeeper summoned his team-mates to give them his thoughts on what was going wrong. The home team offered more of a threat before the interval, mainly through the wing play of Kuhn, who twice almost set up Kyogo Furuhashi and then did find Hatate, whose glancing header was comfortably saved. Hatate shot wide from 22 yards after the interval but the game twice nearly drifted further away from the Scottish champions in the early stages of the second half. Schmeichel pulled off an excellent stop from Maxim De Cuyper after the left-back broke forward and burst past Auston Trusty's attempted tackle. Skov Olsen then blazed over from eight yards after a deep cross found him unmarked. Brendan Rodgers made a double switch as Paulo Bernardo and Alex Valle came on and the latter immediately set up the equaliser with a well-weighted pass, although Maeda effectively made the goal himself. There was a further twist 10 minutes later when Jutgla had a goal disallowed following a VAR check after stabbing home from 10 yards after Celtic could not defend a cross. A marginal offside came to the hosts' rescue. Bernardo made a difference to Celtic's midfield after replacing Engels and the Portugal Under-21 international came closest to winning the game for the Hoops when he shot just wide from 20 yards after good skill. Rodgers' side kept the pressure on but there was no clear-cut opportunity in the final stages.NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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