Is Bhatia Poised for Victory as He Climbs to Third at the Memorial?

Dublin (USA), May 31 (NationPress) Akshay Bhatia, aiming for a third consecutive PGA Tour victory, positioned himself favorably at the midpoint of the Memorial Tournament. After starting with a 2-under 70 and tying for seventh, Bhatia improved his standing with a 3-under 69, reaching a total of 5-under, now sitting in sole third place.

Despite achieving five Top-10 finishes from November to March, Bhatia has struggled to replicate that success recently, with his last standout performance being a third place at the Players. He previously secured T-2 at Dunlop Phoenix, 4th at Hero World Challenge, T-9 at Genesis, 9th in Mexico, and T-3 at the Players tournament. However, he has faced setbacks with two missed cuts and a best finish of T-22 at the Charles Schwab last week.

The World No. 31 recorded five birdies against two bogeys, which occurred on the ninth and eleventh holes. Notably, he sank two impressive long putts of 28 feet on the third hole and 22 feet on the twelfth.

Bhatia's performance was solid overall, hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 12 greens in regulation, showcasing his scrambling skills when he missed. He trails the leaders, Ben Griffin (65-72) and Nick Taylor (69-66), who both share the lead at 7-under.

Indian-American Sahith Theegala, returning after a week due to a neck strain, unfortunately did not make the cut with rounds of 74-77, alongside Indo-British Aaron Rai (79-74). Other notable players missing the cut included Brian Harman and Lucas Glover.

Taylor's remarkable day featured a birdie on nearly every hole while avoiding bogeys altogether, finishing with a 4-under 68. Meanwhile, Griffin benefited from a brief respite in the rain, scoring a 72 with 16 pars, a birdie, and a bogey, putting him at 7-under 137 alongside Taylor.

While Bhatia is two shots behind the leaders, he’s closely followed by defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who managed a solid 70 under difficult conditions. Scheffler missed several birdie opportunities but consistently stayed in contention.

Sam Burns faced challenging morning conditions but shot a 65, improving significantly from his opening round, bringing him within four of the lead at -5. Justin Rose made a remarkable eagle on No. 3 and finished with six birdies in a 66, placing him T-12 after a first-round score of 78.

Signature Events typically do not feature a cut; however, player-hosted events—like this one with Jack Nicklaus—follow a 36-hole format, allowing the Top-50 and ties to proceed to the final rounds. The cut fell at 5-over 149, which also affected Hideki Matsuyama. Only 11 players remain under par.