Palm Harbor, FL …

Russell Knox and his caddy were headed straight for the Copperhead driving range after posting a one under par 70 on the opening day of the Valspar Championship here at Palm Harbor, Florida.

Knox brilliantly split both opening fairways on route to back-to-back birdies to be two-under par after just two holes but it then came unstuck for Scotland’s leading golfer completing the next 10 holes in two over par after bogeys at his ninth and 11th holes.

Russell Knox shoots a 70 day one 2017 Valspar Championship (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

At his ninth, or the 18th hole of the course, Knox was way right into the trees and was forced to chip back to the fairway before finding the green and two-putting from near 30-feet for a bogey ‘5’.

However Knox regrouped with a birdie at his 13th when he holed a superb 16-footer from left of the flag.

He then dropped a shot at his 15th and again in splitting the fairway at the 16th hole of his round. Knox put his 138-yard second to some five feet and knocked in the birdie putt.

A check of his stats revealed he hit 9/13 fairways that had him T20th while he hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation to be T35th on day one in the $US 6.3m event.

“I drove the ball poorly and looking back I probably shot what I deserved to shoot,” he said shortly being greeted by his parents.

“As for my putting, I probably missed about three putts inside six feet but then I got lucky on eight as I had a horse-shoe there and in went in

“I am out in the morning tomorrow so hopefully I can come out strong.”

American Jim Herman enjoyed a two shot lead in posting a career best nine under par 62 and just one shot shy of Padraig Harrington’s course record of 61.

And after an hour was lost at the start of the day due to fog some 19 players did not manage to complete their round when darkness halted play.

Among those who will have to return to the course at 7am local time Friday is Bryson de Chambeau who had moved to four under par through 15 holes.