MIAMI – Kevin Streelman credited some technological support for a seven-under 64 that gave him a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Valspar Championship on March 21 in Palm Harbour, Florida.

Seeking his first win on the PGA Tour in nearly 10 years, the 45-year-old sank three birdies on the back nine to start his day, then added four more over his second half in a bogey-free round at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course.

Kevin Roy beat Streelman with eight birdies but stumbled on the seventh and 16th holes with a pair of bogeys, finishing one shot behind the leader at 65.

Streelman cited his “cool little new ball marker” for aiding his performance.

“(It) can kind of give you some visual cues that are pretty helpful,” he said.

“I was using that today, which kind of helped. But, yeah, it was one of those (days when I) just felt great and I saw the lines and was rolling it great and was able to drop some putts.”

The American first used the new contraption – the circular piece on the top has a solid line and it has a long spike to put in the ground – in the pro-am on March 19.

“Kind of sticks into the ground,” he added.

“So it doesn’t move, obviously, from its location. You spin the top where the line is and then you kind of get back and you see where it looks good, and then you can put your line in (coordination) with that line. So very simple.

“I went to the rules guys and said, ‘Is this legal?’ And they said, ‘Yeah’, so I was like, ‘All right’. I putted well with it.”

Meanwhile, Roy said of his putter: “It was definitely hot.

“I definitely rolled in a couple of long ones, but the key was I made the shorter ones that you have to make around here.

“Once I saw one of the longer ones go in, I calmed down a little bit. I had great pace all day on the greens, so never really had any super stressed-out par saves.”

Peter Malnati, Canada’s Adam Svensson and China’s Carl Yuan are tied for third at 66.

Malnati struggled out of the gate with a pair of bogeys on the front nine, then recovered with five of his seven birdies on the back nine.

Svensson, who won his only PGA Tour title at the 2022 RSM Classic, is looking for a bounce-back week after missing the cut in each of the past three weeks.

“I have a pretty good, positive attitude,” he said.

“I feel like if you’re playing bad, you just got to play good some time, so just keep my head down and keep going.”

Seven players are tied for sixth at 67, while Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele are among those tied for 13th after first-round 68s. REUTERS, AFP