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.

PGA TOUR @PGATOUR

Tied at the top. It's the best opening round position by a defending champion at the @ValsparChamp.

March 17th 2022

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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)

PGA TOUR @PGATOUR

Leaderboard after the first round @ValsparChamp: T1. @Samburns66 -7 T1. @JhonattanVegas T1. @ahadwingolf T1. @David_Lipsky T5. @dannygolf72 -6 T5. @stallingsgolf T5. @werenskir T5. @davisriley68 T9. @KramerHickok -5 T9. @doc_redman T9. @JustinThomas34

March 17th 2022

14 Retweets79 Likes

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:

PGA TOUR @PGATOUR

Club twirl worthy. @JustinThomas34 saw his opportunity and nailed it 🦅 (Presented by @CDWCorp)

March 18th 2022

47 Retweets730 Likes

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