ORLANDO, Fla. — Round 1 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge offered something for everybody.
The world No. 1, a globe-trotting journeyman, a rising American star, a feel-good story and the defending champion were among those atop a tight, eclectic leaderboard Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Other big-name players are lurking, too, setting the stage for riveting second round Friday when conditions are forecast to turn treacherous.
Golfers capitalized on favorable first-round scoring conditions, no one more than Jon Rahm. A fast start and faster finish sandwiched a sluggish two-hour stretch adding up to a 7-under 65 for the game’s top-ranked player a year after he failed to break 70 during his API debut.
