Joel Dahmen and rookie Stepp Straka of Austria have never won on the PGA Tour, but you wouldn’t have known that from watching them in the first round of the Valspar Championship.
Dahmen (pictured, left) and Straka (right) each carded 5-under-par 66s to share a one-stroke lead over Russell Knox of Scotland, Kevin Kisner and Luke Donald of England on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort https://www.innisbrookgolfresort.com/golf/copperhead-course in Palm Harbor, Fla.
“The wind was down early, so I took advantage of that, birdied three of my first four,” said the 31-year-old Dahmen, whose only pro victories came five years ago in the PC Financial Open and the Syncrude Boreal Open on the PGA Tour Canada. “I had a tough stretch in there, just kind of hung on, and then I hit some good iron shots on my back nine and, yeah, it was just a real solid out there today.
“It’s my first time here. I wasn’t good enough to get in here the last couple years. So it’s kind of fun, first time in Bay Hill, first time Players, first time here. And these are real tough golf courses and it’s better for me. I don’t like making a million birdies, I would prefer that pars are good. It fits my game a little better.”
Dahmen had three birdies on each nine and made his only bogey at No. 15, while Straka, whose only pro victory came in the 2018 KC Golf Classic on the Web.com Tour, made three birdies in a span of four holes through No. 8 and added two more birdies coming home in his bogey-free round.
Straka barely missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would have given him the outright lead.
“No bogeys is always nice, especially a tough course like this,” said Straka, who played college golf at Georgia. “You really just got to put yourself in some good spots. It’s easy to get sideways on this course, and I was able (avoid) that today.
“I don’t know (how the birdie putt on 18 missed). I thought it was perfect. I thought it was just going to drop in the high edge. But I had a couple go throughout the rest of the round, so give and take.”
Knox holed his second shot from 275 yards for a rare double eagle on the 11th hole in his 67 that was matched by Kisner, who collected three birdies on each nine, and Donald, who was tied for the lead until making his lone bogey on the final hole.
Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA champion, shot 67 and is tied for sixth with Brian Stuard, Kevin McCarthy, Roberto Castro and Shawn Stefani, who holed out from 157 yards for an eagle on the 16th hole.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson is tied for 11th after opening with a 69, defending champion Paul Casey shot 70 and is tied for 29th, and 10th-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain posted a 71 and is tied for 46th.
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 and Straka (right) each carded 5-under-par 66s to share a one-stroke lead over Russell Knox of Scotland, Kevin Kisner and Luke Donald of England on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.){kind=link}