How did Akshay Bhatia start at the Memorial Tournament?

Dublin (USA), May 30 (NationPress) Akshay Bhatia faced challenges with a double bogey and two bogeys on a tough golf course characterized by its dense rough, yet he managed to record an impressive 2-under 70 in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

The Indian-American golfer, who has claimed victory twice on the PGA Tour, stands Tied-seventh overall, trailing the in-form Ben Griffin by five strokes (65), who secured a win last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge and continued his stellar performance this week.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler struggled but still managed a score of 70 at Muirfield Village.

Another Indian-American participant, Sahith Theegala, returning from a neck injury that caused him to miss a tournament, ended with a score of 2-over 74, placing him Tied-31st, while Indo-British golfer Aaron Rai was T-68 after carding a 79.

Bhatia, who previously placed T-3 at the Players and had top ten finishes at Mexico and Genesis, started his round positively.

He began with a birdie but quickly relinquished that advantage on the subsequent hole. A birdie on the fifth was marred by a double bogey, followed by another birdie, closing the front nine with an even-par 36. The back nine saw him starting strong with birdies on the 11th, 14th, and 15th, but a bogey on the 18th came after he missed a 10-foot par putt.

Theegala began the front nine at one-under, highlighted by a 45-foot birdie putt on the sixth. Unfortunately, his back nine was challenging, with a bogey on the 10th and a double bogey on the 11th after a trip into the water and rough. He also bogeyed the 13th but redeemed himself with a 25-foot birdie on the 14th. On the Par-3 16th, he made a nearly perfect tee shot to nine inches, converting for another birdie, but he dropped a shot on the 18th for a total of 2-over.

Rai's performance included three birdies, two bogeys, and an astonishing four double bogeys for a disheartening 7-over 79.

Griffin demonstrated exceptional form with a score of 65, despite hitting into the water twice. He kept up the momentum with birdies, including an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole, landing his 3-wood within 12 feet of the hole. Griffin leads by two shots over Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa trailing by another stroke.

Only 13 players managed to break par in the favorable winds, but the course at Muirfield Village is notorious for its dense roughs, reminiscent of the upcoming US Open set to take place next week at Oakmont. Shane Lowry, who played alongside Griffin, finished with a 69, one of just six players to score under 70.