HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler drilled his opening tee shot — straight down the middle, of course — with a grandstand packed with spectators behind him. What got his attention was when he looked back from the green and saw that it was empty.

Thousands of fans didn’t want to miss the Masters champion on Saturday in the RBC Heritage, and Scheffler didn’t disappoint.

His shots were like lasers into the greens as he quickly worked his way into the lead and stayed there. One last birdie on the 18th hole at Harbour Town gave Scheffler a bogey-free 63 and a one-shot lead over Sepp Straka.

“It felt to me like the crowd was coming with me today, and there was definitely a lot of cheers out there,” Scheffler said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing in front of a crowd. It may not look like I’m paying much attention to them out there, but I can feel their energy, and it’s great to have the support.”