Playing out of the late wave, World No. 315 Vincent Whaley played his final four holes in 4-under toward a 5-under-par 35-31=66 in the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, solo 3rd on the board and one back of a pair of co-leaders.
This is the 26-year-old’s highest position after 18 holes in his 45th career event, previously T10 at last season’s Valero Texas Open, where he faded to T34 (69-76-70-71). He arrived off a T65 at the Sanderson Farms four weeks ago, where he was T17 after 18 holes (68-71-73-71), and owns two career top 10s, most recently a T9 at the opposite-field Barracuda four starts ago (T27 after 18 holes), while his first, also a T9, came at the opposite-field Puerto Rico Open in 2020, where he was T31 after 18 holes (70-71-69-65). On six (of 14) fairways and 12 greens in regulation, the Georgia Tech alum was 1-under thru 14 holes (3 birdies, 2 bogeys), but ended fast with a birdie-birdie-eagle run at 15-17.