A local favorite, major champions, rising stars and the biggest name in golf make for an intriguing leaderboard following the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Longtime Lake Nona, Fla., resident Henrik Stenson sits on top after opening with an 8-under 64 at Bay Hill, featuring nine birdies and 13 of 14 hit fairways. The 2016 Open Championship winner, Stenson is among eight major winners in the top 20 _ headlined by Tiger Woods _ and had a chance to win at Bay Hill in both 2015 and 2016.
"It's a good golf course for me," Stenson, one of golf's top ballstrikers, said. "You're going to get rewarded if you hit a lot of fairways and greens and staying out of trouble."
Woods sits four shots back following a 68 during tougher morning conditions. It was his best opening round at Bay Hill since 2009, when he won his sixth of eight API titles.
Stenson sits a shot ahead of Aaron Wise, the 2016 NCAA individual champion at Oregon, and 26-year-old Web.com graduate Talor Gooch. Each shot 65.
Jimmy Walker, the 2016 PGA Championship winner, 2015 Players winner Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau, the 2015 U.S. Amateur champion, shot 67.
Walker, Woods, Patrick Reed (68) and Ben An (68) are the only players in the top 12 who played Thursday morning. Tee times will flip-flop on Friday.
