PALM HARBOR - Four players, including defending champion Sam Burns, share the first-round lead, tying the most in Valspar Championship history (2014). Burns holds the best first-round position by a defending champion in Valspar Championship history and he became the second defending champion to hold the first-round lead/co-lead in a Tour event this season. The other? Kevin Na, Sony Open in Hawaii.
Co-leaders Burns (2021) and Adam Hadwin (2017) seek to become the fourth multiple winners of the event.
Dustin Johnson opened with a 4-under 67 in his 300th PGA Tour start while Lee Hodges became the first player during the Shotlink era to birdie the first five holes of a round at the event.
After battling the weather and sub-par rounds a week ago, 89 players posted under-par scores in the first round, a Valspar Championship record upending the 76 in 2012.
Valspar Leaderboard After 18 Holes:
Jhonattan Vegas 64 (-7)
Sam Burns 64 (-7)
Adam Hadwin 64 (-7)
David Lipsky 64 (-7)
Four players 65 (-6)
Full Leaderboard (link)
Valspar Championship
COURSE: Innesbrook Resort, Copperhead, Palm Harbor - Florida
ARCHITECT: Larry Packard
YARDS/PAR: 7,340 yards/Par 71
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,800,000/$1,404,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Sam Burns
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @ValsparChamp
TV COVERAGE: Second round of the Valspar Championship scheduled for coverage from 2:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. On Saturday and Sunday, coverage is set for 1:00pm to 3:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 3:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC.
PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage from Copperhead will be featured on ESPN-Plus today with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups from 7:30am to 6:00pm (ET). Weekend streaming on ESPN+ from 8:00am to 6:00pm (ET).
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage today as broadcasts originate from Innesbrook Resort from 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (ET). Saturday and Sunday coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (ET). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.
How to Watch/Stream the PGA Tour Live and Valspar: (ESPNCom)
How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)
The Basics:
Tournament site: The Valspar Championship
The Valspar Championship - Tee Times start today at 7:40am (ET) and continue until 2:31pm (ET).
Weather: Today’s forecast is for sunny skies and 61-82 degree temperatures with only a 2% chance of rain. Winds at 4-14 mph (West). Weekend weather is for mostly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of rain.
PGA Tour Brunch will post by 8:00am (ET) on Saturday.
Next Week: The Dell Technologies Match Play and Corales Puntacana Championship
Valspar Championship - The Field and Tee Times:
The Field: (link)
Updates:
Sunday, March 13
Kevin Tway (out) / Trey Mullinax (in)
Maverick McNealy (out) / David Lipsky (in)
Cameron Young (out) / John Huh (in)
Monday, March 14
Patrick Rodgers (out) / Paul Barjon (in)
Brandt Snedeker (out) / Seth Reeves (in)
Taylor Pendrith (out) / Austin Smotherman (in)
Joaquin Niemann (out) / Curtis Thompson (in – own number), Kurt Kitayama (in - sponsor exemption)
Tuesday, March 15
Paul Casey (out) / Bronson Burgoon (in)
Doug Ghim (out) / Austin Cook (in)
Sebastián Muñoz (out) / Dylan Wu (in)
Tee Times: (link)
What They’re Saying:
Burns Part of 4-Way Tie at Valspar (ESPN/Associated Press)
Year After Debut, Sam Burns Leads at Valspar (Golf Week)
Cut Predictor (PGATourCom)
NTSB Finds 13-Year Old was Driving Truck in Deadly Crash (ESPN)
FAQs for the LIV Golf Invitational (Sports Illustrated)
On This Day in Golf History:
March 18, 2001 - Hale Irwin won his 30th career title on the PGA Champions Tour, breaking the record of 29 by Lee Trevino. Irwin won with a five-stroke margin over Tom Watson and Allen Doyle at the Siebel Classic in the Silicon Valley of California. - Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt:
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