Séamus Power finds himself just three shots off the lead after an opening one-under 70, while Shane Lowry is one further back after day one of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship.
Strong winds gusted across the Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort in western Florida, and kept scoring in check, and Power, who traded a birdie and a bogey on his opening nine – the back nine – then made two early birdies on the front side to push his way up the leaderboard and within touching distance of the top 10.
Unfortunately, a three-putt on the last will have left a slightly sour taste in his mouth, but he still ends the day sharing 23rd place and will enjoy an early tee time on day two.
Lowry was also among the late starters on Thursday, and he too battled the conditions well, putting on a clinic off the tee to rank first in Strokes Gained. His approach play and putting, however, weren’t quite up to the high standards he sets, and he made just two birdies and a bogey on the outward loop and carded seven straight pars on the back before giving a shot back on 17.
His level-par round leaves him sharing 39th, but just four shots off the lead held by Keith Mitchell, Jacob Bridgemann, Stephan Jaeger, Ricky Castillo and Sami Valimaki.
World number three Xander Schauffele continues his comeback from injury and is steadily gathering pace ahead of the Masters where the reigning PGA and Open Championship winner will be among the favourites. He opened with a 70 to sit alongside Power and will fancy his chances at capturing his first victory since Royal Troon if the wind continues to blow.
Mitchell has mixed feelings about Innisbrook, a course he loves but one that gives him bad memories. He had a two-shot lead going into the final round a year ago before a wild final round when he didn’t make birdie until the 14th hole and shot 77.
“I still think about it,” Mitchell said. “It’s still definitely in the back of my mind and I want it to stay there for hopefully for the rest of my career to just motivate me to remember what it feels like when you let those kind of nerves get in your way. A round like today feels like the opposite of that.”
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