Daniel Berger shoots 63, holds a 3-shot advantage at Arnold Palmer Invitational
ORLANDO, Fla. — Daniel Berger recorded nine birdies, with all but one from within 10 feet, achieving a 9-under 63 at Bay Hill — a performance that took many by surprise on Thursday during the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Berger completed his bogey-free round in the morning, and by day’s end, he held a three-shot advantage, with a score nearly nine strokes lower than the average of the 72-man field, as only 32 competitors managed to finish under par.
Collin Morikawa, last year’s second-place finisher, was in the middle of the leaderboard until he finished with an eagle and two birdies for a total of 66.
Ludvig Åberg also carded a 66, with his afternoon round, when the wind began to pick up, being three strokes superior to anyone who teed off later. After starting the back nine with consecutive bogeys, he made an eagle on the par-5 12th with a 5-iron to 25 feet.
Scottie Scheffler played in the mid-morning and shot a 70, marking his first opening round under par since his season debut (which he won). Rory McIlroy, who played later, encountered difficulties with a shot that went off the rocks and into the water on the 13th, resulting in a double bogey, and finished with a bogey on the 18th for a score of 72.
“It has that U.S. Open kind of feel to it,” Berger remarked about Bay Hill. “I believe the course will only become more challenging as the week progresses. The greens will become firmer. … So, just aim for the fairway and try to sink as many putts as possible.”
Cameron Young recorded seven birdies in his round of 67, also playing in the morning. Just one shot behind him was a group that included Adam Scott and Xander Schauffele.
“You can shoot your way out of it in the first round because the score can get away from you,” Scott noted. “So if you’re 5 over today, it’s a long way back — especially when there was a 9 under out there, which is tough to comprehend.”
Cognizant Classic champion Nico Echavarria started strong with a 30 but faltered on the back nine, shooting 42, which included a triple bogey on the 12th hole.
Justin Thomas finished with a 79 — a challenging return after five months of recovery from back surgery. He recorded a double bogey on the par-4 11th after missing the fairway and a 3-foot putt, and another double on the 16th when a wedge from 81 yards landed in the creek.
“It was somewhat difficult to say it was good to be back out,” Thomas reflected. “Yeah, not at all how I anticipated it going. But the rust factor was unfortunately a bit of what I expected.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
