Keith Mitchell leads Valspar Championship despite tough conditions

The first round of the 2025 Valspar Championship was challenging for players as they faced strong winds and rain at the Copperhead course. The conditions made scoring difficult, with the leaders only managing to reach 4-under par, one of the highest first-round leading scores in tournament history. Keith Mitchell topped the leaderboard after a solid start, but he finished with a couple of bogeys that left him with a score of 67. Despite this, he expressed confidence in his game. "You’re going to make mistakes... but I kept it together," he said. Among the co-leaders at 4-under were Jacob Bridgeman, Stephen Jaeger, Ricky Castillo, and Sami Valimaki, who navigated through tough conditions in the afternoon. The round was halted due to darkness, with four groups still on the course. They will finish their rounds early Friday morning, just as a new round is set to begin. Many players are tightly bunched on the leaderboard, promising an exciting second round. Significant struggles were faced by big names like Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Spieth opened with an eagle but ended up with a 3-over 74. Thomas was slightly better with a 73, which left both of them far down the leaderboard. Other notable players, such as Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood, also struggled to stay in contention. Overall, the mix of leaders and challengers means that there is potential for big shifts in the standings as the tournament progresses. With only a few shots separating the top players, Friday could offer many scoring opportunities.