Sweden's Ludvig Åberg has taken the lead after the first round of the RBC Heritage, carding an impressive eight-under 63. This puts him one shot ahead of Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland and American Harris English. Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre made a strong start following a tumultuous week at The Masters, where he missed the cut and sparked controversy with an obscene gesture.
MacIntyre shot five under on Thursday, placing him among a group of players three shots behind Åberg. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler recovered from a shaky start to shoot three under, while Ireland's Shane Lowry finished one under in his bid to bounce back from a disappointing final round at The Masters. Åberg expressed his satisfaction with his game, highlighting his iron play and approach shots as key to his success.
'It was a really good day, scoring-wise,' Åberg said. 'I felt like my irons and approach play were really positive.
I was hitting the flights I wanted and was on the right side of the flags, which is what I like to see.' MacIntyre, on the other hand, spoke about the challenge of managing his emotions after a difficult week. 'I'm trying my best to control my emotions,' he said.
'I work with someone back home, and I'm disappointed with what happened, but I'm good at putting things behind me.' The RBC Heritage continues with Åberg in the lead, as the field competes for top honors in the PGA Tour Signature Event at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina.