ST. PETERSBURG: American Jim Herman equaled his career-best round by shooting a bogey-free nine-under 62 in Thursday’s opening round of the fog-delayed PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship.
The 39-year-old Herman has a two-stroke lead over Russell Henley and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who both shot 64. Henley finished at seven-under despite opening with a bogey on his first hole.
The round was suspended due to darkness with several players still on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort. They will finish the first round early Friday before second-round play begins.
Herman came within one shot of the course record with nine birdies, just missing a 61 shot in 2012 by Padraig Harrington.
James Hahn was alone in fourth, and Seamus Power of Ireland was by himself in fifth after a 66.
Tony Finau, Keegan Bradley, Charles Howell and Webb Simpson share sixth place at 67. Bryson DeChambeau was also four under through 15 holes.
Herman, who won for the first time last year at the Shell Houston Open, decided to play the event at the last minute. He is happy he did.
“That was a fun round,” said Herman. “I don’t think there’s many feelings better than shooting in the low 60s on the PGA Tour.”
Stenson had been off to a good start in 2017, tying for eighth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Champions and tying for second in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour. He also tied for second in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in October.
Stenson’s bogey-free round included just 26 putts. The big Swede hit 12 of 13 fairways.
“When the putter feels good and short game is in good shape, a lot of times I see it more as guaranteeing having a second shot into around the green or hit the green, even if it’s a longer club,” Stenson said. “That’s kind of what I’ve done around here the previous two times, and it’s worked out fine.”
Henley responded after his opening bogey with birdies on eight of the next 11 holes.
“I feel like I’m seeing the break well here,” Henley said. “The greens are running really true, and what I’m seeing, that’s what the ball is doing. I got more and more confident as the day went on.”
Herman leads Valspar Championship by two strokes
Herman leads Valspar Championship by two strokes
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
