Ludvig Aberg Fires 63 to Take One-Shot Lead in RBC Heritage Opening Round

Aberg Bounces Back from Masters Disappointment

Ludvig Aberg fired an impressive 8-under 63 in challenging wind conditions at Harbour Town Golf Links, taking a one-shot lead over Harris English and Viktor Hovland after the opening round of the RBC Heritage.

The Swedish golfer was coming off a disappointing T21 finish at the Masters, his first time outside the top 10 in three Augusta appearances. "I felt like I was playing well but made some silly mistakes that prevented me from having a real chance," Aberg reflected, but his pure iron play shone through on Thursday.

Scheffler's Rocky Start

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler experienced a shocking opening when his first tee shot sailed out of bounds on the right side of the first hole. "I didn't know out-of-bounds was over there," admitted the Masters runner-up. Despite the setback, Scheffler showed his resilience by sinking a 12-foot putt for bogey and recovering to shoot 68.

Hovland Shows Signs of Recovery

Viktor Hovland carded a bogey-free 64, though he failed to birdie any of the three par-5s. The Norwegian expressed optimism about his swing improvements, particularly after his painful double-bogey on the 15th hole during Sunday's final round at Augusta. "I can start to relax a little bit more and focus on the recovery aspect," Hovland said.

Notable Performances

- Gary Woodland, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Rickie Fowler shared third place at 5-under 65 - Masters champion Rory McIlroy skipped the $20 million signature event for the second consecutive year - Brooks Koepka spent nearly 7.5 hours at the course as first alternate but never got the call to play