Åberg Takes the Lead at RBC Heritage as MacIntyre Bounces Back

Sweden's Ludvig Åberg has taken the lead at the RBC Heritage after a stunning opening round, while Robert MacIntyre has made a strong start following his tumultuous performance at The Masters. Åberg produced an impressive eight-under 63 to establish a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland and American Harris English. MacIntyre, who endured a difficult week at Augusta National, including missing the cut and making an obscene gesture on the course, put those issues behind him to shoot five under on Thursday. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler recovered from a shaky start to shoot three under, while Ireland's Shane Lowry finished one under as he looked to recover from a disappointing final round at The Masters. England's Tommy Fleetwood is in danger of missing the cut after finishing five over, and American Justin Thomas struggled to a 76. Åberg was pleased with his performance, citing his iron play and approach shots as the highlights of his round. MacIntyre, meanwhile, spoke about the challenge of controlling his emotions on the course, saying he wears his heart on his sleeve but is working to improve his emotional control.