RBC Heritage: Viktor Hovland leads after first round as Masters champion Jon Rahm makes slow start
Viktor Hovland hits bogey-free 64 to to earn one-shot lead after round one of RBC Heritage; England's Aaron Rai, Justin Rose and Matthew Fitzpatrick in top five but Masters champion Jon Rahm eight back at one over; watch round two live on Sky Sports Golf from 12pm, Friday
Friday 14 April 2023 06:47, UK
Viktor Hovland fired a seven-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at the RBC Heritage as Masters champion Jon Rahm made a slow start four days after his Augusta triumph.
Hovland picked up seven birdies in a bogey-free round, including four across his final seven holes, to carve out a narrow lead over three players on six under par - England's Aaron Rai plus American duo Jimmy Walker and Brian Harman - with Rahm eight strokes back on one over at Hilton Head.
Rai and 2016 PGA champion Walker were among six players yet to finish when darkness ended play early, with Rai through 15 holes and Walker 16.
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Rai's compatriots Justin Rose and Matthew Fitzpatrick sit two strokes behind Hovland on five under, while another Englishman, Tyrrell Hatton, is at three under.
World No 1 Rahm racked up four bogeys in his 72, including three blemishes in a row between the sixth and eighth, and hit just seven fairways on a weather-affected day at Harbour Town Golf Links.
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Rahm said: "I hate to make excuses, but a couple of the swings towards the end were my body being tired and surprised me. I'm hoping tonight is where I start turning things back around and start feeling a bit better."
Hovland finished in a share of seventh place at The Masters having been in a three-way tie for the lead with Rahm and Brooks Koepka after round one.
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The Norwegian said: "Last week, I didn't putt it as good the last three rounds as I did the first round, which obviously is hard to do. I hit it okay, but I didn't hit it as great as I did the first round.
"On some of those pins, I got a little too greedy and I missed it in the wrong spots, and I just can't allow myself to do that.
"So this week I'm just trying to play a bit more, not conservatively, but making sure that I hit more greens, the centre of the greens, and can kind of lean on my putter."
Watch round two of the RBC Heritage live on Sky Sports Golf from 12pm on Friday. Coverage is also on Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm.
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