Sungjae Im returned to form as an opening 64 has him seven under and leading Brandt Snedeker by one after day one of the Valspar Championship.
Sungjae had missed two straight cuts upon his return to golf from a wrist injury, but was back to his best on Thursday as he carded two eagles through his opening round.
Sungjae holed eagle putts of 18 feet on the par-five 11th and 35 feet on the par-five first after making the turn. Only a pair of bogeys over his last four holes slowed him.
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Snedeker hasn’t won on the tour in eight years and had only two top 10s in the last year but, as the USA captain for the Presidents Cup, he made the most of a sponsor exemption to get off to a strong start at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.
The 45-year-old carded a bogey-free round at Innisbrook for the first time in 14 years, rattling off three straight birdies to start the back nine in his round of 65.
“Had a really good game plan – just relied on my putter, Snedeker said aftewards. “I putted great today, made a bunch of footage of putts, and put myself in position off the tee, hit a lot of fairways and greens.
“Really excited about how it started, but a long way to go from here.”
Davis Thompson is alone in third after shooting 66 on day one, with Pierceson Coody, Andrew Putman and Billy Horschel one worse off at four under after opening 67s.
Horschel, who missed The Players Championship last week, is running out of time to either win or get back inside the top 50 to qualify for The Masters next month.
Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele and Jacob Bridgeman, a winner on tour already this year at the Riviera, also enjoyed bogey-free first rounds.
The pair were part of a large group that includes Matt Fitzpatrick – runner-up at The Players – to shoot 68 and sit three under par.
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Corey Conners shot 69, an ordinary round except for an extraordinary moment where he made consecutive eagles round the turn, at the 18th and then the first.
Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth also opened with a round of 69, though at one stage it looked as though he was set for a much better score when five under for his front nine.
But things turned sour as he missed a putt from four feet for birdie at 11, another from similar distance for par at the 13th and then dropped three shots over the closing three-hole stretch known as “Snake Pit,” including a double bogey on the 16th when driving into the water.
Defending champion Viktor Hovland was two over through six holes before ultimately salvaging a one-under 70, while Brooks Koepka made his return to Innisbrook with level-par 71.
Watch round two of The Valspar Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 11.30am on Friday. Stream golf contract-free.
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