Akshay Bhatia picked up 4 strokes within the final three holes as he surged to an eight-under par 62 on Thursday to grab a one-shot lead within the first spherical of the St. Jude Traditional, the primary occasion of the A$215 million US PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee had a nightmare spherical of six-over 76, carding 5 bogeys and a triple on 13 to sit down useless final in 69th place. Compatriots Cam Davis (-1) and Jason Day (+1) fared higher with out threatening an early cost.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood completed robust, closing with 4 straight birdies to cap a seven-under par 63 that put him in solo second, one shot in entrance of compatriots Justin Rose and Harry Corridor and American Bud Cauley.
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South Korean Kim Si-Woo was alone in sixth on 65, Colin Morikawa headed a gaggle of 5 on 66 whereas world primary Scottie Scheffler settled for a three-under 67 that left him tied for twelfth.
Bhatia, who claimed the newest of his two tour titles on the Texas Open in 2024, stated he’s made a concerted effort in current weeks to let go of the negatives, at the same time as he feels he’s not performing as much as his personal requirements.
That mindset appeared to repay on Thursday.
“As we speak I felt fairly relaxed,” he stated. “I’m simply not making an attempt to power something. It’s OK to get mad at golf pictures, however not at your self — not self-deprecate your self, which I are likely to do.”
4-under by way of 11 holes, Bhatia rebounded from a bogey on the twelfth with an eagle on the par-five sixteenth, the place he rolled in a 13-foot putt.
He drained a 27-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth and caught his strategy from the golf green at 18 two ft from the pin for his seventh birdie of the day.
“I felt like I wasn’t within the tough an excessive amount of,” he stated. “I hit it in a few fairway bunkers, which is OK out right here. It’s simpler to regulate the golf ball.
“I felt like I wasn’t placing nice all through the day, however then these final couple of putts managed to drop.”
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Fleetwood performed in additional sultry afternoon situations and saved his greatest for final. Three-under by way of 14 holes, he launched his closing burst with a nine-foot birdie at 15, rolled in a seven-footer at 16, made a five-footer at 17 and drilled in a 15-foot birdie on the final.
He stated staying affected person by way of the primary seven holes, when he felt he performed effectively however didn’t make a lot headway, was key to the spherical, however 17 and 18 had been his highlights of the day.
“Eighteen, you’ve clearly nonetheless bought work to do … You’ve nonetheless bought to face up and hit a golf shot on the final. Felt actually good on the tee, however to hit a golf shot like that, it was actually precisely the place I used to be aiming, so clearly that one,” he stated in selecting his greatest shot of his four-birdie burst.
The match is the primary of three playoff occasions and options the highest 70 gamers within the factors standings.
Scheffler, taking part in his first occasion since capturing his fourth main title — and his second main of the yr — on the British Open at Royal Portrush, got here in atop the standings.
He was four-under by way of 17 holes however made his solely bogey of the day at 18, the place he missed a brief par putt.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, second behind Scheffler within the playoff standings, opted to skip the occasion, assured that he would stay excessive sufficient on the listing to advance to subsequent week’s BMW Championship.
The highest 50 on the conclusion of this week’s match advance to the BMW, with the highest 30 after that match qualifying for the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
AUSTRALIAN SCORES
Cam Davis -1 (69) =twenty seventh
Jason Day +1 (71) =forty eighth
Min Woo Lee +6 (76) 69th