Sweden's Ludvig Åberg seized the lead at the RBC Heritage, carding an impressive eight-under 63 in the opening round. This outstanding performance positioned him a stroke ahead of Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland and American golfer Harris English.
Following closely, England's Matt Fitzpatrick was among a group of six players, two shots off the lead, on six under. Åberg reflected on his successful day, highlighting his iron play and approach shots as key strengths, and expressed overall satisfaction with his bogey-free round, which included eight birdies. Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre made a strong recovery from his tumultuous experience at The Masters, where he not only missed the cut after a challenging opening round but also generated controversy with an obscene gesture. MacIntyre rebounded with a five-under score, placing him three shots behind Åberg alongside a group of five other players.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also showed resilience, recovering from an out-of-bounds first shot to shoot three under as he seeks to bounce back from his second-place finish at The Masters. Ireland's Shane Lowry finished one under, aiming to overcome his disappointing final round at The Masters, while England's Tommy Fleetwood and American Justin Thomas faced significant challenges, with Fleetwood at risk of missing the cut and Thomas struggling to a 76. In a post-round interview with Sky Sports Golf, MacIntyre opened up about the challenges of managing his emotions, acknowledging the need to control them while also emphasizing his commitment to performing at his best.
With the tournament underway, fans can catch the RBC Heritage live on Sky Sports Golf, with coverage starting daily at 12pm.