Ryan Brehm scores a hole-in-one and grabs a share of the lead with Stephan Jaeger and Adam Schenk on 66 after the primary spherical of the Valspar Championship on Thursday; Jordan Spieth, again at Innisbrook for the primary time in 5 years, is on 67 with Tommy Fleetwood making 68
Last Updated: 17/03/23 12:11am
Highlights from day one of many Valspar Championship, happening in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Highlights from day one of many Valspar Championship, happening in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Ryan Brehm turned an excellent spherical right into a memorable one on Thursday, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 seventeenth gap at Innisbrook for a five-under 66 that led to a three-way share of the lead on the Valspar Championship.
Stephan Jaeger additionally had a 66, whereas Adam Schenk joined them with the low rating within the afternoon on the Copperhead course.
Jordan Spieth, again at Innisbrook for the primary time in 5 years, had a bogey-free spherical and was notably sharp with the putter, making birdie putts of 60 toes and 30 toes on his approach to a 67. Also at 67 have been former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Maverick McNealy.
Ryan Brehm aces the par-3 seventeenth on the 2023 Valspar Championship.
Ryan Brehm aces the par-3 seventeenth on the 2023 Valspar Championship.
This is the primary lead for Brehm since he gained the Puerto Rico Open final 12 months in his closing begin to attempt to hold a PGA Tour card. It hasn’t been the smoothest street since then. Brehm has made solely three cuts this season – one among them at Kapalua – and is coming off an 80 within the second spherical final week at The Players Championship.
“We’ve been grinding for a short time since then to attempt to discover some good kind once more, and hopefully [I’ve] been displaying indicators of fine play,” he mentioned.
His ace got here with a 6-iron from 196 yards, and he closed with a par. It was his eleventh time within the 60s in 43 rounds on the PGA Tour this season.
Jaeger had seven birdies within the morning, which began with temperatures chilly sufficient for some gamers to put on beanies and additional layers.
Schenk completed his spherical with a 10-foot par save on the par-3 eighth gap, after which after going bunker-to-bunker on the ninth, made a par putt from 5 toes.
Tommy Fleetwood says that he was joyful along with his placing in the course of the first spherical of the Valspar Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood says that he was joyful along with his placing in the course of the first spherical of the Valspar Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood was at 68, whereas the group at 69 included two-time defending champion Sam Burns and Justin Thomas, who at No 10 is the highest-ranked participant within the subject.
Scoring isn’t notably low at Innisbrook, which is very thought to be a match course with tree-lined fairways, elevation and never practically as a lot water as many programs in Florida.
“I’m not comfy on the market in any respect, however I do not assume anyone actually is – possibly Sam Burns; he is gained it a pair occasions,” Brehm mentioned.
“But I feel it is a good take a look at of golf. Golf’s not purported to be simple, I do not assume, and the course does an excellent job of constructing you assume.”
No one had a harder begin than U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Ryan Brehm had an excellent day within the first spherical of the Valspar Championship
On the third gap, Fitzpatrick pulled his tee shot out of play. His third shot from the tee discovered the water, and after a penalty drop, he got here up in need of the bunker after which from there in need of the inexperienced. It added to a 9, and he adopted with consecutive bogeys.
Fitzpatrick went out in 42, and he bounced again with a 32. Even so, he got here into the Valspar Championship having missed three cuts in his final 5 tournaments.
Spieth hasn’t been in a position to match Innisbrook into his schedule since The Players Championship moved again to March, however he needed to return this 12 months. This is his fourth match within the final 5 weeks, with the Match Play subsequent week.
Before he had a card, Spieth chipped in on the seventeenth gap and tied for seventh that allowed him to achieve particular non permanent membership on the PGA Tour. Two years later, he gained the Valspar Championship in a playoff by making a 30-foot birdie putt. That was in 2015, the 12 months he gained the Masters and U.S. Open.
This spherical was largely about his placing, the lengthy birdies and equally essential, a lot of mid-length par putts that saved his spherical going. Spieth hit solely 5 fairways.
“With solely hitting [five] fairways, you try this round this place and shoot beneath par, it is fairly stable,” Spieth mentioned.
“I used to be in a position to sneak a pair extras with the putter as we speak. I’ve been feeling like my placing’s been working in direction of the place I actually need it to be.”
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