Palm Harbor, FL …

Open Champion Henrik Stenson bounced back from illness last week in Mexico to grab a share of second place on day one the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor.

Stenson didn’t drop in glorious scoring conditions on the Copperhead course and capping his round with three straight birdies from his fourth to sixth holes in a seven under par 64.

Henrik Stenson ticks one box ahead of next month’s Masters.

The effort is reported to be Stenson’s lowest score in any Florida tournament he’s contested.

It left the affable Swede tied with American Russell Henley and with the par a stroke shy of another American, Jim Henry who was one shot shy of the course record in posting a 62.

Henrik Stenson waiting to talk to Mark Immelman.

And with the Masters now just a month away Stenson indicated these next few weeks is all about ticking boxes ahead of the year’s traditional first Major.

“It’s important for me to be in good form going to Augusta and I know how important it was to get that BMW International Open win in Germany before heading to Troon,” he said.

“It just gives you that confidence and more than anything I want to play, and if I play well I always know I am going to have a chance to position myself to win in the lead-up to the Masters.

“So that’s what we’re focusing on getting the game in order and today was putting was really good.  That’s one box ticked.

“If I can keep that up, and we’re just working away a little bit on the long game and yeah, it would be nice to pick up a bit of confidence, too.”

–