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Luke Donald, Branden Grace tied for first at Hilton Head

By The Sports Xchange
Luke Donald. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
Luke Donald. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Luke Donald and Branden Grace both shot 5-under-par 66 on Thursday, and they share the first-round lead in the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Jason Day, the world's top-ranked player, is in a group of four players one shot behind the leaders at Harbour Town Golf Links. He was tied for the lead until he dropped back after his only bogey of the day on the closing hole.

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Also at 4-under 67 with Day are Matt Kuchar, David Lingmerth and Tony Finau. Kucher won the tournament in 2014.

Donald, who once was ranked No. 1, has struggled the past few years to the point that he was forced to sit home last week and watch the Masters for the first time since 2005 after failing to qualify.

The opening 66 at Harbour Town was Donald's best score on the PGA Tour since he shot back-to-back 65s at the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year.

Donald got off to a good start with three birdies on the first six holes before making his first bogey at No. 8 and then adding three birdies on the back nine.

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Harbour Town is one of Donald's favorite courses. He has five top-three finishes there in the past seven years but has yet to win the event.

"I have some good memories and good mojo here," Donald said. "It's nice to continue that with a solid round today."

Just days after the Masters at Augusta National, most of the top players skipped the RGB Heritage, including Masters winner Danny Willett and Jordan Speith. Day is the only finisher from the top 10 at Augusta who is playing at Harbour Town.

Grace, who missed the cut at the Masters, was in the lead at 6 under after a birdie on the 15th, but he missed an 8-foot par putt on the next hole to fall back into a tie at the top.

Bryson DeChambeau, a former U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion who was in contention at the Masters as an amateur last week, shot a 70 in his first tournament after turning professional.

Jason Bohn played for the first time since suffering a heart attack two months ago and shot a 3-over 74.

Defending champion Jim Furyk is recovering from wrist surgery and is not in the field.

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