Corey who?
That would be Corey as in Corey Connors, a graduate of the 2017 Web.com Tour, a guy who missed out on Monday qualifying and wasn’t supposed to be in the field for the start Thursday at the Valspar Championship.
Connors got in when there was a withdrawal and now he sits atop a lot of big names from the world of golf.
Connors, who has never held any sort of lead in a PGA Tour event, shot a nifty four-under par 67 in chilly, windy conditions on the testy Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort.
The Canadian player was five-under for his round going into the 18th hole then made his only bogey of the day when his approach found the right greenside bunker and he failed to get up-and-down for par.
He was only one of seven players to break 70 on a day that 14-time major champion Tiger Woods deemed “brutal.”
Conners played early in the day and ended a shot in front of Whee Kim, Nick Watney and Kelly Kraft. Keegan Bradley, Jimmy Walker and Russell Knox were just two back with 68s.
But no one seemed concerned with any of those leaders.
They turned out in the afternoon, in mass, to follow Tiger Woods. Woods didn’t disappoint. He finished with a one-under par 70, his first sub-par first round in a PGA Tour event since August of 2015.
Woods was the best of the name players. Masters champ Sergio Garcia joined him at one-under as did Adam Scott and Justin Rose. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk put in a good day and finished with 70 as did senior-citizen Steve Stricker.
Woods finished his day with five birdies — four more than Spieth and McIlroy managed. Stenson had none.
The winds were steady at 15 miles per hour and gusted past 20 at times.
The morning wave was greeted by temperatures in the high 40s.
