NewKerala.com

Scheffler fires 63 at American Express as Bhatia, Theegala trail

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened The American Express with a flawless 9-under 63, sitting one shot off the lead held by Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody. Indian-origin golfers Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala had mixed starts, carding 68 and 71 respectively. Ideal conditions led to exceptionally low scoring across the tournament's three-course rotation. A group of nine players, including Patrick Cantlay and Jason Day, are tied with Scheffler at 9-under.

Key Points: Scheffler's 63 leads American Express, Bhatia & Theegala behind

  • Scottie Scheffler shoots 63
  • Min Woo Lee leads with 62
  • Akshay Bhatia opens with 68
  • Ideal weather fuels low scores
2 min read

Golf: Bhatia, Theegala way behind as Scheffler cards 63 at American Express

Scottie Scheffler shoots bogey-free 63 at The American Express. Akshay Bhatia cards 68, Sahith Theegala 71 as Min Woo Lee leads.

"It was also his first full-field start with a 36-hole cut since his victory in Napa last September. - Report"

La Quinta, Jan 23

Indian-origin players Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala endured mixed starts amid exceptionally low scoring conditions on the opening day of The American Express, where World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler produced a flawless bogey-free 9-under 63 to finish just one shot off the lead.

Bhatia, teeing it up at La Quinta Country Club, opened his campaign with a steady 4-under 68, while Theegala faced the sternest test of the three-course rotation at the Pete Dye Stadium Course and signed for a 1-under 71.

Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju, coming off an impressive tied-13th finish last week, carded a 2-under 70 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course but found himself well down the leader board due to the extremely low scores across the field.

Ideal weather conditions led to a barrage of birdies as players took advantage of the tournament's unique three-course format, which sees the 156-player field rotate between La Quinta Country Club, the Nicklaus Tournament Course and the Pete Dye Stadium Course over the first three rounds before the cut.

At the top of the leaderboard, Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody set the pace with matching 10-under 62s on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, the easiest of the three layouts. The Nicklaus Course played nearly four shots easier than the Pete Dye Stadium Course.

Scheffler's 63 at La Quinta marked his lowest 18-hole score in 19 career rounds at The American Express. Despite hitting only five of 14 fairways, the American showed superb iron play and missed just one green at the 17th, where he chipped in for birdie. It was also his first full-field start with a 36-hole cut since his victory in Napa last September.

Nine players ended the day at 9-under 63, tied one stroke behind the leaders. Among them were Vince Whaley and S.H. Kim, both in search of their maiden PGA TOUR titles, along with Ben Griffin, Patrick Cantlay and Jason Day. Griffin's effort marked his seventh straight event opening inside the top eight after 18 holes, a run dating back to the 2025 Wyndham Championship.

Defending champion Sepp Straka struggled to find momentum and finished the day at even par, hampered by a costly double bogey.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's tough when the conditions are so easy and you're on the hardest course, like Theegala was. A 71 on the Stadium Course might actually be a decent score in context. The cut will be very low, so they need to go low tomorrow.
D
David E
Scheffler is just on another level. Hitting only 5 fairways and still shooting 63? That's world-class scrambling and iron play. The Indian-origin players are talented, but competing with this field week-in, week-out is a massive challenge.
R
Rohit P
Good to see Sudarshan Yellamaraju getting a mention! Tied-13th last week was a great result. A 70 today isn't bad, but as the article says, with everyone shooting lights out, you have to be almost perfect. Hope he makes the cut.
S
Sarah B
The format seems fun but also a bit unfair? A four-shot difference between courses is huge. Luck of the draw plays a big role. Respectfully, the tournament organizers should try to balance the difficulty better for the first round.
K
Karthik V
Come on boys! We need an Indian winner on the PGA Tour soon. Anirban Lahiri paved the way, now it's time for the next generation. Bhatia has the game, just needs consistency. All the best for the next three rounds! 🏌️‍♂️

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50