Akshay Bhatia Opens With 2-Under 68 at Rocket Classic
Detroit — Akshay Bhatia opened the Rocket Classic with a 2-under 68 on Thursday, making a steady return to competition after taking a week off following a missed cut at the Open Championship.
The left-hander finished the first round tied for 48th and will need another consistent performance to secure a place in the weekend rounds.
Fellow Indian-origin golfer Sudarshan Yellamaraju carded a 1-under 69 and was tied for 72nd, placing him near the projected cut line. Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala are not competing this week.
Bhatia recorded three birdies and one bogey at Detroit Golf Club. Starting on the back nine, he made birdies at the 14th, first and sixth holes and dropped his only shot at the 16th.
Bhatia, who is sponsored by India’s Hero MotoCorp, entered the tournament ranked 12th in the FedExCup standings. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a PGA Tour Signature Event, earlier this season.
Peter Malnati took the first-round lead after firing a career-best 9-under 61, matching the tournament record and giving him a two-stroke advantage.
Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard each shot 63, while Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn were another stroke behind.
Michael Brennan also made a strong move after beginning his round 2 over through four holes. He responded with eight consecutive birdies, one short of the PGA Tour record, and finished with a 65.
Several prominent players endured quieter starts. Cameron Young, ranked No. 3 in the world, shot a 1-under 69, while U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark opened with a 1-over round.
The Rocket Classic and next week’s Wyndham Championship are the final two events before the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings advance to the playoffs.
Detroit Golf Club underwent a $16 million renovation after last year’s tournament. The changes included converting two par-5 holes into par-4s and adding bunkers in an effort to restore elements of Donald Ross’ original design while making the course more difficult. (Source: IANS)
