Memphis (USA), Aug 9 (NationPress) Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia continued his impressive performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, following up his record-setting round of 8-under 62 with a robust second round of 69. This brings his total to an impressive 9-under par, placing him in a tie for second with Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose, while he trails the leader Tommy Fleetwood by four strokes.

The top of the leaderboard is currently held by Fleetwood, who has carded consecutive rounds of 63 and 64, totaling 13-under. He is in pursuit of his first win on the PGA TOUR, having come close numerous times with six runner-up finishes and 42 top-10 placements since 1983.

Bhatia, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, started strong with two birdies and a bogey in his first four holes but then maintained his momentum by recording 14 pars in a row. This steady play positions him well as he heads into the weekend, in just his second appearance at this event, where he previously finished T-12 in 2024.

Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer and recent Open Championship champion, is currently at 7-under after scoring a second-round 66, despite three bogeys on the back nine. He finds himself tied for seventh with Bud Cauley, Jacob Bridgeman, and Maverick McNealy, whose round was interrupted by weather conditions.

Another player of Indian descent, Aaron Rai, finished his rounds with scores of 70 and 69, placing him at T-39. Rai ranks 55th in the FedExCup standings and needs to break into the top 50 to qualify for the next playoff round.

Kurt Kitayama made significant progress with a 63, moving into the top five and continuing his strong late-season performance after winning at the 3M Open. The tournament has faced weather disruptions, including lightning, leading to the suspension of play and evacuation of fans. As the competition moves into the weekend, all eyes will be on both Bhatia and Fleetwood—one aiming to maintain his momentum, while the other seeks his first victory.

Earlier in the tournament, Akshay Bhatia showcased his talent at TPC Southwind, posting a career-best score of 8-under 62 to claim the lead after the first round of the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship, which is the opening event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs.

The 23-year-old Bhatia, who is already a two-time PGA Tour champion, delivered a stellar performance highlighted by seven birdies and an eagle against just one bogey. He turned at 4-under and secured another birdie on the 11th hole, but faced a minor setback with a bogey at 12. His closing was remarkable—an eagle on the par-5 16th followed by consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th.