Golf: McIlroy shares Championship lead as Indian-origin Akshay Bhatia makes strong start
St. Louis, Aug 21 (IANS) Rory McIlroy made an emphatic return to form as he opened with a bogey-free six-under 64 to grab a share of the lead at the BMW Championship, while Indian-origin Akshay Bhatia made a solid start to the second FedExCup Playoffs event with a three-under 67 at Bellerive Country Club.
McIlroy was among five players tied at the top at six-under, alongside fellow U.S. Open champions Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark and J.J. Spaun, as well as Chris Gotterup. The packed leaderboard reflected the quality of the field, with several major champions producing impressive opening rounds on a soft Bellerive layout.
Among the Indian-origin players, Bhatia carded a three-under 67 to lie tied 12th while Aaron Rai was another shot back at two-under 68, tied 21st. Sahith Theegala opened with a one-over 71 and was tied 37th.
Bhatia’s 67 was impressive given the intense FedExCup pressure. With only 50 players competing in the BMW Championship, every position carries significance as the field battles for a place among the 30 who will advance to the TOUR Championship.
For McIlroy, the round was particularly encouraging after a difficult week in Memphis. Returning from a four-week break following The Open, the four-time major champion, struggled badly at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, failing to break par in any of the four rounds. He subsequently returned home to Florida and worked with swing coach Michael Bannon on his game.
The response was immediate. McIlroy found the fairways and greens consistently and avoided a single bogey, putting himself firmly in contention for another major playoff title.
Among the strongest performers was Woodland, who produced a memorable 64. The 2019 U.S. Open champion is making a remarkable push to reach the season-ending TOUR Championship after undergoing brain surgery. He began the week 31st in the FedExCup standings, with only the top 30 advancing to East Lake.
Woodland holed out with a sand wedge from 99 yards for eagle on the 11th and later hit a superb 2-iron from 286 yards on the par-five 17th to set up another birdie. His performance provided one of the emotional highlights of the opening day.
The global stars were also prominent. Wyndham Clark, the reigning U.S. Open champion from Shinnecock Hills, made five birdies over his final six holes to join the leaders. J.J. Spaun, the 2024 U.S. Open champion, also finished at six-under after switching back to the putter he used for his Oakmont triumph.
Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, was one shot behind at five-under, further strengthening the major-championship presence at the top of the leaderboard.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, endured a difficult opening day. After dominating the FedExCup opener with an eight-shot victory, Scheffler was forced to settle for a two-over 72 at Bellerive, his highest opening-round score since the U.S. Open in June. He said he was feeling sick and left the locker room without speaking further.
–IANS
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