Palm Harbour (Florida), March 20 (IANS) Aaron Rai opened the week with a round of 3-under 68 to be placed T-7 on the leaderboard at the Valspar Championship. He was tied alongside nine other players.

Sahith Theegala, meanwhile, had a difficult start to the week as he shot 6-over 77 in the first round. This start puts him all the way down at T-128 with a lot of ground to make up if he hopes to make the cut.

Rai started the day with a birdie before dropping down to 1-over par by the turn of the round due to a pair of bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes.

On the back nine, Rai had three consecutive birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 12th before making another late birdie on the 17th hole to close the day with a score of 2-under 68. Rai will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing showing at the Players Championship last week.

Theegala made an early double bogey on the second hole and then had another five bogeys in his first round. The birdie on the 14th hole was the only solace in an otherwise difficult round.

Sungjae Im leads the field after carding 7-under 64 despite two late bogeys. The South Korean, who is returning from a wrist injury, is playing only his third event this year and has yet to make the cut. The first round included six birdies, two eagles, and three bogeys.

Im found his rhythm with the putter as he made long putts of 18ft and 35 ft to make the two eagles respectively.

In second place is Brandt Snedeker, the captain of the US team for the Presidents Cup. Snedeker fired his first bogey-free round in 14 years to place one stroke behind the leader. The 45-year-old carded a round of 6-under 65, which included six birdies.

–IANS

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