John Senden has made a dismal start to his title defence at the US PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship in Florida, posting a three-over 74 to sit nine shots off the lead.
The Australian carded a bogey, double bogey and bogey between the 8th and 10th holes that blighted his opening round at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor on Thursday and leaves the defending champion tied for a lowly 114th.
Brian Davis chipped in for birdie at his last hole for a six-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead.
Rod Pampling (68) is the best of the Australians three shots behind Davis while compatriots Greg Chalmers (69), Steve Bowditch (70) and world No.4 Adam Scott (71) made solid starts.
Englishman Davis, a two-time winner on the European Tour, had Americans Sean O’Hair and Ricky Barnes hot on his heels.
Sweden’s world No.3 Henrik Stenson, Alex Cejka of Germany, Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge and Americans Justin Thomas, Derek Ernst and Nicholas Thompson shared fourth on four-under 67.
Cejka is coming off a playoff victory on Sunday in the Puerto Rico Open.
Davis, seeking his first victory on the US tour, had stumbled late with bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes, the seventh and eighth at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course.
He regained sole possession of the lead when he chipped in from 25 feet.
Davis had started strong with five birdies in his first nine holes.
He got to seven-under with birdies at the par-five fifth and par-four sixth, but three-putted for bogey at the seventh before a bogey at the par-three eighth, where he was unable to get up and down after missing the green.
He was just off the green at his closing hole, but got out of trouble with a perfectly judged chip.
“The golf course was there, no wind and fairly soft, so you have to try to make your score today if you could,” Davis said.
Stenson, playing at Innisbrook for the first time, even though he lives in Orlando — about 160km away — was pleased with what he found, especially after a bogey-free round.
“Kept my patience and kept my game plan. All in all, a good day,” he said.
