Sweden's Ludvig Åberg has taken the lead at the RBC Heritage after a remarkable opening round, carding an eight-under 63 to establish a one-shot advantage over Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland and American Harris English. The tournament, which is being held at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina, has seen a strong start from Robert MacIntyre, who is looking to put his Masters controversy behind him. MacIntyre shot five under on Thursday, placing him among a group of five players three shots back from the leader.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler also made a recovery, shooting three under after a difficult start, while Ireland's Shane Lowry finished one under in his bid to bounce back from a disappointing Masters. England's Tommy Fleetwood and American Justin Thomas struggled, finishing five over and 76 respectively.
Åberg expressed his satisfaction with his game, highlighting his iron play and approach shots as key to his success. MacIntyre, meanwhile, reflected on the challenge of controlling his emotions, acknowledging that he wears his heart on his sleeve but is working to improve his emotional control.