Is Bhatia Holding Strong at 35th While Scheffler Leads with Thomas and Fleetwood at Travelers?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Akshay Bhatia tied for 35th after an even par 70.
- Leaders include Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Tommy Fleetwood.
- Bhatia aims for a place in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
- Scheffler is seeking his fourth victory this season.
- Thomas has one win and three runner-up finishes this year.
Cromwell (USA), June 21 (NationPress) Akshay Bhatia found himself in a tie for 35th place after finishing with an even par score of 70 in the Travelers Championship, which featured an eagle in his round. Bhatia, who is striving for a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs, trails by nine strokes behind the leading trio: Scottie Scheffler (71), Justin Thomas (64), and Tommy Fleetwood (65), all at 9-under par.
Bhatia made a birdie on the third hole and eagled the sixth, but he also had a setback with a bogey on the fourth and a double bogey on the 17th.
Scheffler, who took the lead after the first round with an 8-under score, experienced an early bogey on the sixth but bounced back with four birdies, bringing him to 11-under. He was the sole leader before a double bogey on the Par-4 17th in this season's final USD 20 million Signature event.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy struggled out of the gate, finishing 3-over through four holes and ending with a 1-over 71, placing him at 5-under and tied for 9th.
Thomas impressively carded five consecutive birdies from the 11th to the 15th, finishing with a score of 64. This season, he has secured one win at the RBC Heritage and three runner-up finishes, while Scheffler aims for his fourth victory this year.
Fleetwood, an accomplished eight-time winner on the DP World Tour, is on the hunt for his first win on the PGA Tour.
Denny McCarthy (64) and Austin Eckroat (71) sit at 7-under 133, closely followed by Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (70) and Nick Taylor (68).
On day one, Bhatia shot an even par 70, tying for 43rd despite a double bogey. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with a remarkable 62, marking his second-lowest opening round of the season, sharing the lead with Eckroat.
Bhatia, an Indian American, has had a solid season with three top-10 finishes, including a tied third at the Players Championship, where he played alongside former Open champion Brian Harman.
Bhatia recorded nine pars on the front nine but suffered a double bogey on the 10th. He regained his footing with birdies on the 14th and 17th, finishing tied for 43rd at even par 70 in this no-cut event. He recently missed the cut at the US Open but achieved T-16 at the Memorial and T-22 at the Charles Schwab Challenge.