LA QUINTA, Calif. — Indian-origin golfers Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala found themselves well off the pace after the opening round of The American Express, as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler carded a bogey-free 9-under 63 to sit one shot off the lead in exceptionally low-scoring conditions.
Bhatia opened with a solid 4-under 68 at La Quinta Country Club, while Theegala faced the toughest test of the tournament’s three-course rotation at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, finishing with a 1-under 71. Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju, coming off a tied-13th finish last week, shot a 2-under 70 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course but was also pushed down the leaderboard amid a flood of birdies across the field.
Ideal weather conditions and receptive courses contributed to low scores on the first day of the event, which features a three-course format. The 156-player field rotates between La Quinta Country Club, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the Pete Dye Stadium Course over the first three rounds before the cut.
Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody set the early pace with matching 10-under 62s on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, widely regarded as the easiest of the three layouts. The Nicklaus Course played nearly four shots easier than the Pete Dye Stadium Course on Thursday.
Scheffler’s round at La Quinta marked his lowest 18-hole score in 19 career rounds at The American Express. Despite hitting only five of 14 fairways, he displayed sharp iron play and missed just one green, at the par-3 17th, where he chipped in for birdie. The start also marked his first full-field event with a 36-hole cut since his win in Napa last September.
Nine players finished the day at 9-under 63, one stroke behind the leaders. The group included Vince Whaley and S.H. Kim, both seeking their first PGA TOUR victories, as well as Ben Griffin, Patrick Cantlay, and Jason Day. Griffin’s round continued a strong trend, marking his seventh consecutive tournament opening inside the top eight after 18 holes, a streak dating back to the 2025 Wyndham Championship.
Defending champion Sepp Straka struggled to gain traction and ended the opening round at even par after a costly double bogey slowed his momentum. (Source: IANS)
