Keith Mitchell thrived in a tough wind on a tough Copperhead course at Innisbrook on Thursday until he dropped two shots late in his round and had to settle for a four-under 67 and a five-way share of the lead in the Valspar Championship.
The gusts were in the 30mph range at times. Rain pelted the players in the afternoon during a brief shower. And the course already has a reputation as one of the best tests on the PGA Tour.
For Mitchell, it was all about timing. He was expecting his share of bogeys on a day like this. It just stung a little more to be at six-under, in the fairway on the par-five fifth just 90 yards from the hole, and have to settle for a 67.
That dropped him into a share of the lead with Stephan Jaeger, Jacob Bridgeman, Ricky Castillo and Sami Valimaki.
England’s Harry Hall finished in a 14-way tie for ninth on two-under after the opening round, with Matt Wallace a stroke behind on one-under, Danny Willett even-par and Tommy Fleetwood sitting one-over.
Only 21 players broke 70 with the potential of another, Kevin Velo, who was two-under through 17 holes when play was suspended by darkness.
Mitchell had a birdie chance from just inside 50 feet on the par-three eighth, his 17th of the day, when he left it 10 feet short and three-putted for bogey. He then rode a strong wind into the right rough on the uphill ninth, went just over the back and finished with a bogey.
“It’s crazy to say you left some out there when it’s windy,” Mitchell said. “I don’t want to say that because you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to hit shots that you wish you could have over or putts that you had over.
“But you take those two (bogeys) out of the round and sprinkle them somewhere else (and) I’m feeling good.”
Keith Mitchell in action at the Valspar Championship
Xander Schauffele showed some improvement in his third straight tournament since being away for two months with a rib injury. He dropped a few shots like everyone else – three of his four bogeys on the par-threes – and opened with a 70.
Justin Thomas went out in 40 in the afternoon and played hard to the end, bogey-free on the back nine to salvage a 73.
That was one shot better than Jordan Spieth, who won at Innisbrook 10 years ago during his road to a Masters green jacket. Spieth hit only two fairways through 13 holes until hitting his last five in regulation.
He three-putted from 18 feet for bogey on the 17th and made a 5-foot birdie on the 18th for 74.
Mitchell has mixed feelings about Innisbrook, a course he loves but one that gives him bad memories. He had a two-shot lead going into the final round a year ago before a wild final round when he didn’t make birdie until the 14th hole and shot 77.
“I still think about it,” Mitchell said. “It’s still definitely in the back of my mind and I want it to stay there for hopefully for the rest of my career to just motivate me to remember what it feels like when you let those kind of nerves get in your way. A round like today feels like the opposite of that.”
The others at 67 rallied late. Jaeger, who next week defends his title in the Houston Open, birdied his last two holes.
Bridgeman started bogey-bogey and rallied with a 32 on the front nine, starting with an eagle on the par-five opening hole.
Sahith Theegala was at 4 under after running off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine. He finished with a pair of three-putt bogeys, one from 18 feet at No. 17, the other from about 60 feet down the ridge on the 18th, and shot 69.
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