Burns 7 Under Par "Green Light for Title Defense"... What About 'Number 2' Morikawa?

On the First Day of the Valspar Championship, Johnson and Koepka Share the Lead at 4 Under Par, Korea's Noh Seung-yeol at 1 Under Par

Sam Burns (right) is preparing for a tee shot on the 17th hole on the first day of the Valspar Championship. Palm Harbor, USA=Getty Images/Multivitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] A green light has been lit for Sam Burns (USA) to defend his title.

On the 18th (Korean time), at the Innisbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida (par 71, 7,340 yards), the PGA Tour Valspar Championship (total prize money $7.8 million) opened, and Burns surged to the top of the leaderboard with a 7-under-par round on the first day. Jonathan Vegas (Venezuela), Adam Hadwin (Canada), and David Lipsky joined him in a tie for the lead. Justin Thomas (USA) is chasing from a tie for 9th place at 5-under-par.

Burns racked up nine birdies (two bogeys). He started strong with a birdie on the 1st hole (par 5), had his first bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4), but then energized the course with consecutive birdies on the 4th and 5th holes and another birdie on the 8th hole (par 3). On the back nine, he made birdies on the 10th and 11th holes and the 13th hole (par 3), and although he made a second shot bogey on the 16th hole (par 4), he recovered with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. His long drives reached up to 342 yards, and his green hit rate was an impressive 83.33%, showcasing his pinpoint iron shots, complemented by an average of 1.40 putts per hole with 'stingy putting.'

Suga is a 25-year-old young gun who won the 2018 Korn Ferry (2nd tier) Tour Savannah Championship and immediately advanced to the PGA Tour in the 2019 season. After his first victory at this tournament last year, he added world star power with a runner-up finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson and the FedEx St. Jude Invitational in August. He secured his first win of the 2022 season early at the Sanderson Farms, and this time he is challenging for his second consecutive win, his second of the season, and his third overall.

Burns especially made two birdies in the crucial final stretch from holes 16 to 18. The fairways are narrow and winding like a snake, earning the notorious nickname 'Snake Pit.' A large snake sculpture was even installed at the teeing ground of the 16th hole (par 4). Although his second shot on the 16th hole landed in a bunker resulting in a bogey, he made a 'hole-in-one-like birdie' by hitting his tee shot close to the pin on the 17th hole (par 3), and secured a 4-meter birdie putt on the 18th hole (par 4).

Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele warmed up at a tie for 12th place at 4-under-par, while world No. 2 Collin Morikawa (USA) stood at a tie for 33rd place at 3-under-par. Viktor Hovland (Norway), who finished tied for 3rd last year, is tied for 50th at 2-under-par, so there is still plenty of room for redemption. From Korea, No Seung-yeol (32) is tied for 69th at 1-under-par, and Kang Sung-hoon (35) is tied for 133rd at 4-over-par, facing the risk of missing the cut.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.