Sungjae Im Takes the Lead at Valspar Championship, Schauffele and Fitzpatrick in Pursuit

Sungjae Im made a strong comeback with an opening score of 64, putting him at seven under and one stroke ahead of Brandt Snedeker after the first day of the Valspar Championship. Following two consecutive missed cuts due to a wrist injury, Im returned to form, carding two eagles during his opening round. He achieved eagle putts of 18 feet on the 11th hole and 35 feet on the first hole after making the turn, with only two bogeys in his last four holes slowing him down. Snedeker, who hasn't won on the tour in eight years and had only two top-10 finishes in the last year, made the most of a sponsor exemption to get off to a strong start at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook. The 45-year-old had a bogey-free round at Innisbrook for the first time in 14 years, rattling off three straight birdies to start the back nine in his round of 65. 'I had a really good game plan, relied on my putter, and putted great today,' Snedeker said. 'I made a bunch of putts and put myself in position off the tee, hit a lot of fairways and greens.' Davis Thompson is in third place after shooting 66 on the first day, with Pierceson Coody, Andrew Putman, and Billy Horschel one stroke behind at four under after opening 67s. Horschel, who missed The Players Championship last week, is running out of time to either win or get back inside the top 50 to qualify for The Masters next month. Xander Schauffele, a two-time major champion, and Jacob Bridgeman enjoyed bogey-free first rounds and are part of a large group that includes Matt Fitzpatrick, who shot 68 and sits three under par. Corey Conners had a notable moment with consecutive eagles around the turn, at the 18th and then the first, in his round of 69. Jordan Spieth opened with a round of 69, but his score could have been better if not for a missed putt from four feet for birdie at 11 and another from a similar distance for par at the 13th. Defending champion Viktor Hovland salvaged a one-under 70 after being two over through six holes, while Brooks Koepka made his return to Innisbrook with a level-par 71.