Indian-American golfers Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala made an impressive start at the $5 million Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, tying for third place alongside defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
The trio, along with Patrick Cantlay and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, posted 5-under-par 67s in the opening round at Albany, trailing leader Cameron Young by three shots and Justin Thomas by one.
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Cameron Young’s bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64 set the pace on day one of the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament. Young’s stellar performance included five birdies on the front nine and three more on the back nine.
Reflecting on his round, Young said, “I drove it great… I made a couple of putts early, which was nice. There’s a bunch of par-5s and a couple of drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.” His 64 marked the second-best opening day score in the tournament’s history.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler also delivered a solid performance at one of his favorite venues, where he has consistently excelled over the years. Scheffler’s round of 67 continues his streak of staying under par in all 13 rounds he has played at Albany.
Debutant Akshay Bhatia, a past winner in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour, expressed his excitement after his strong showing. “I played the par 5s pretty well today. I haven’t played too much competitive golf, so I was a little more nervous… It was pretty good.”
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Bhatia also spoke about his connection to the tournament, saying, “Having Hero MotoCorp sponsor this event, being an Indian company, is pretty cool. I see people that are more my culture and kind of respect what I’m doing.”
Sahith Theegala, celebrating his 27th birthday this week, shared similar sentiments about the event. “Playing this event has always been a big thing for me,” he said, as he joined the field of elite players at the limited-field tournament.
Justin Thomas, playing his first event in six weeks, carded a 66, finishing second. “Definitely pleased with… how the start was,” Thomas said, acknowledging his adjustments throughout the round.
The Hero World Challenge continues with an elite field vying for the title at the picturesque Albany course.
