Sweden's Ludvig Åberg has taken the lead at the RBC Heritage after a stunning opening round, carding an eight-under 63 to edge out Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland and American Harris English by a single shot. Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre made a strong start following his dramatic exit from The Masters, shooting five under to sit three shots off the pace. Åberg's impressive round was marked by a bogey-free performance, with eight birdies showcasing his exceptional form.
He highlighted his iron play and approach shots as key factors in his success, saying, 'I felt like the highlight for me was definitely my irons and my approach play. I felt like that was really positive.' MacIntyre, who was embroiled in controversy at The Masters after making an obscene gesture, put the incident behind him to produce a solid round.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler recovered from a wayward opening shot to card three under, while Ireland's Shane Lowry finished one under in his bid to bounce back from a disappointing final round at The Masters. England's Tommy Fleetwood, however, faces an uphill task to make the cut after finishing five over, and American Justin Thomas also struggled to a 76. MacIntyre reflected on his round, saying, 'Coming off last week, a disappointing performance, I was comfortable with the golf course, comfortable with my game, my game's been in good shape.
Trying to put as much of last week behind me as I could.' He also spoke about the challenge of controlling his emotions, admitting, 'I know what I did isn't the best way of me doing things, but look, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm trying my best to control the emotions.'