Valspar Championship 2017: Thursday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Jim Herman went into the clubhouse as the early leader at the Valspar Championship, shooting a 9-under 62 in first-round play at Palm Harbor, Florida, just one stroke under the course record.

The opening round was ultimately suspended before all players completed their rounds, per the PGA Tour:

None of the remaining players were likely to catch Herman, however, with Henrik Stenson and Russell Henley currently trailing him after each finishing their rounds with a 7-under 64. 

You can see the updating leaderboard below:

Herman played a virtually flawless round, finishing with nine birdies and no bogeys. It was a huge performance for a player who has missed five of 10 cuts this season.

"We were fortunate we didn't have the wind we normally have here, so it was gettable," Herman told the Golf Channel regarding his excellent round. "I was driving the ball really well, putting myself in position for good iron shots, and I was putting the ball really well. That all usually adds up to a good score." 

Herman wasn't even going to play in the tournament, but the former chairman of General Electric, Jack Welch, convinced him to give it a go after playing with him at the Seminole Pro-Member.

"Had a really good day there, and got urged on from Welch—he's a member there—to play here," Herman told the Associated Press (via the Los Angeles Times). "I was looking at taking two weeks off, so I was kind of a late commit to this tournament. I guess I'm certainly glad I took his advice."

The rest of the field isn't so thrilled about it, however.

Herman wasn't the only player to make some major shots on the day, however. The PGA Tour provided the day's highlights below:

Heading into Friday, Herman will look to replicate his epic round, though a number of players are certainly within striking distance. If Herman continues to play like he did Thursday, however, he'll run away with this tournament as it heads into the weekend.