The first round of the 2025 Valspar Championship was an absolute grind as players had to battle inclement weather, heavy winds, and the always difficult Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort. The combination of steady 15-20 mph winds (gusting up to 30 mph) and the small greens at Innisbrook made for a challenging day as evidenced by the leaders sitting at 4-under – the second-highest first round leading score in tournament history.
The morning wave seemed to get the better of the weather draw Thursday as four of the five co-leaders came from the early set of tee times. The afternoon wave got rocked by a pop-up shower that combined with the heavy winds to give players fits for a few holes before it ultimately passed through.
The lowest any player got Thursday was Keith Mitchell, who pushed his score to 6 under going into No. 8 (his 17th hole). After finding the front of the green on the tough par 3, Mitchell left his first putt woefully short and ended up with a three-putt bogey. Another bogey followed, resulting in a 67 that felt like it should have been even better.
“It’s crazy to say you left some out there when it’s windy, but I don’t want to say that because you’re going to make mistakes,” Mitchell remarked about his round. “Overall, I kept it together. No. 8 was playing really hard, and 9, the wind just off left I couldn’t get it started far enough left and made bogey there. If I take those two out, I’m feeling good.”
The lone player to join the group at 4 under from the afternoon wave was Sami Valimaki, who handled the rain better than most.
“It wasn’t the best time to be on the golf course, but I managed to make a few pars during the challenging conditions,” Valimaki stated.
The round was called due to darkness at 7:39 p.m. ET with four groups still on the course. They will return to finish their rounds at 9 a.m. with the second round beginning as scheduled at 7:35 a.m.
The leaders
1. Keith Mitchell, Jacob Bridgeman, Stephen Jaeger, Ricky Castillo, Sami Valimaki (-4)
Despite a bogey-bogey finish, Mitchell is confident in his game. Bridgeman had a hot second nine, shooting a 32 that included an eagle at the first to get into the lead group. Jaeger and Castillo faced challenges on the finishing holes but managed to recover with birdies.
Valimaki excelled in the tougher afternoon wave, showing resilience with a double bogey on 14 but overall performing well.
With the leaderboard tightly bunched, plenty of movement is expected going into Friday. Mitchell, Bridgeman, Jaeger, and Castillo are all aware that low scores could emerge as they tee off in the afternoon.
Other contenders
T6. Ryan Fox, Nico Echavarria, Nick Hardy (-3)
T9. Davis Riley, Harry Hall, Billy Horschel, Andrew Putnam, Victor Perez, Jeremy Paul, Nate Lashley, Sam Stevens, Luke List, Sahith Theegala, Andrew Novak, Justin Lower, Rasmuss Neergaard-Petersen, Kevin Velo (-2)
An astonishing 22 players within two shots of the lead means opportunities for significant upward movement on Friday. Despite frustrations and struggles, notable players still have a chance to reclaim positions before the weekend.
Major Names Trying to Make the Cut
High-profile players like Jordan Spieth, who struggled to a 3-over 74, and Justin Thomas, who shot a 73, face challenges to make the cut after this round. Both have shown inconsistency but could capitalize on a better performance in the upcoming days.
It’s going to be an intriguing continuation at the Copperhead course. As Mitchell, Bridgeman, Jaeger, and Castillo set out for their second rounds, they will be keeping a close watch on the emerging scores of their competitors.
