Golf: Indian-American Theegala and Rai Fire 9-Under, Rank 13th at Zurich Classic

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Golf: Indian-American Theegala and Rai Fire 9-Under, Rank 13th at Zurich Classic

Synopsis

On April 25, Indian-American golfers Sahith Theegala and Aaron Rai finished strong with a nine-under performance, placing Tied-13th at the Zurich Classic. They trail PGA Tour rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, who achieved a stunning 14-under.

Key Takeaways

  • Theegala and Rai score nine-under.
  • They are Tied-13th after the first day.
  • Salinda and Velo lead with 14-under.
  • McIlroy and Lowry shoot 8-under.
  • Albatross by Adam Schenk on the seventh hole.

Avondale (USA), April 25 (NationPress) Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala, alongside fellow Indian-origin pro Aaron Rai, delivered an impressive nine-under performance, placing them Tied-13th after the opening round of the Zurich Classic. They trail the PGA Tour newcomers, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, by five strokes, who achieved a remarkable 14-under.

The Masters champion Rory McIlroy, competing for the first time since claiming the prestigious Green Jacket, teamed up with Shane Lowry to score an 8-under 64 in the Four-ball (best-ball) event at the Zurich Classic.

Another Indian-American golfer, Akshay Bhatia, who similarly secured an Indian sponsor, Hero, prior to the Masters this month, partnered with Carson Young to finish at eight-under, placing them Tied-18th.

Salinda and Velo made an exceptional start, recording a tournament-record 58 in this unique team event. They achieved 10-under on the front nine, with eight birdies and an eagle from Salinda on the Par-5 seventh. Their back nine performance brought their total to 14-under.

Danish identical twins, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, are just a shot behind. The competition format includes Foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday, Four-ball on Saturday, and Foursomes again on Sunday.

A significant crowd gathered around the 10th tee at TPC Louisiana before 8 AM local time to witness McIlroy's performance. Despite an early-week illness, he managed to showcase several highlights after a slow start.

Lowry spearheaded their team initially, birdieing three of the first holes following their back-nine start and adding another on the par-5 18th.

McIlroy's first birdie was a nearly 20-foot putt on No. 1, celebrated with a light-hearted fist pump. He followed this with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, hitting a 6-iron from 204 yards to within 5 feet, bringing them to 8-under.

Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama are tied for third place at 61 alongside the teams of Cam Davis/Adam Svensson, Paul Peterson/Thomas Rosenmueller, and Kris Ventura/Antoine Rozner.

Adam Schenk scored an albatross on the seventh hole, holing out from 231 yards. Schenk and Tyler Duncan recorded a score of 63.

Yannik and Jeremy Paul from Germany, the other identical twins participating in the event, finished with a score of 67.