Hoffman Up by One at Arnold Palmer Invitational


Morgan Hoffman got off to a good start in the $6.3 million Arnold Palmer Invitational. The PGA Tour event, the final stop in the Florida Swing, started Thursday at Bay Hill Club in Orlando.

Starting play on the 10th tee, the 26-year-old Hoffman opened with two birdies on his front nine before tacking on two more birdies and an eagle when he holed out from a greenside bunker on the par-5 sixth hole (his 15th of the day), forging a one-stroke lead over fellow Americans Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Ken Duke and John Peterson, and England's Ian Poulter.

Hoffman played with a heavy heart after learning before starting his round that his 97-year-old grandmother had passed away. While telling reporters he was in a strange place mentally, Hoffman said he hopes to get to Saturday's memorial service in Fort Lauderdale, a short trip from Orlando in the single-engine plane he flies.

Trailing Hoffman by two shots are Australia's Adam Scott, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Ireland's Padraig Harring, Scotland's Martin Laird, and Americans Brandt Snedeker, Billy Horschel, Harris English, Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, Matt Every and Ben Martin.

Every, the defending champion, edged Bradley last year by a stroke. On Thursday, the 31-year-old Floridian had five birdies and a bogey.

Scott, who started with a 10-under 62 last year, headed into the final two rounds in 2014 with a seven-stroke lead before fading over the weekend and ending up two strokes behind Every. The 2013 Masters champion hopes to atone this week for that disappointment.

"At times this course has been set up so difficult with firm greens and long rough that when you're playing bad, I embarrass myself out here, and that's the kind of memory that I had," the 34-year-old from Adelaide told reporters. "But still, it was good to get out here and put a good score on the board and get going, and hopefully stay somewhere near the lead."

Tied for 18th following 69s are George McNeill, Colt Knost, David Hearn, Kevin Kisner, Davis Love III, Russell Henley, Webb Simpson, Camilo Villegas, Chris Stroud, Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Sean O'Hair, Justin Thomas and David Lingmerth.

Balmy weather and rain-softened greens led to generally low scores Thursday, with nearly a third of the field shooting 70 or less. One of the players posting a 2-under number was No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy. The 25-year-old Northern Irishman, who recorded three birdies and a bogey, was among 19 players posting 70s.

Bubba Watson withdrew before the start of the tournament to attend the funeral of a close friend who died Tuesday. The friend, David Miller, played golf at Georgia with Watson and Kisner.

"I knew (Miller) pretty well, and it's really sad," Kisner told reporter Bob Harig of ESPN.com. Ironically, Kisner was the sixth alternate, but because of Watson's late withdrawal he was the only player who could get to Orlando for his tee time, playing with Scott and Brooks Koepka.

"It's a really unfortunate deal and I'm not sure of all the details. I played a round with him and Bubba when I was in school; they came back and played with us a couple of times. They were pretty close friends. Really a sad deal. He had two little girls."

Jordan Spieth, winner of last week's Valspar Championship, isn't entered this week.

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