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Theegala Shoots 69 at RBC Heritage, Bhatia and Yellamaraju Trail

Sahith Theegala opened the RBC Heritage with a 2-under 69, putting him in a tie for 27th place. His fellow Indian-origin golfers, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, had more difficult starts, posting scores of 73 and 74 respectively. Sweden's Ludvig Aberg leads the tournament after a superb bogey-free round of 8-under 63. Defending champion Justin Thomas struggled to a 5-over 76.

Key Points: Sahith Theegala starts RBC Heritage with 69, leads Indian contingent

  • Theegala tied for 27th with 69
  • Bhatia cards 73, Yellamaraju 74
  • Ludvig Aberg leads with bogey-free 63
  • Defending champ Justin Thomas struggles
2 min read

Sahith Theegala starts with 69, Akshay Bhatia way behind at RBC Heritage

Sahith Theegala opened with a 2-under 69 at the RBC Heritage. Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju had slower starts. Ludvig Aberg leads.

"The back nine proved more challenging. - Report"

Hilton Head Island, April 17

Sahith Theegala opened his campaign at the RBC Heritage with a 2-under 69, leaving him tied for 27th in the $20 million Signature event. While he trails leader Ludvig Aberg of Sweden by six shots, the round began on a strong note, with Theegala picking up three birdies in his first four holes and four in the opening seven.

The other two players of Indian origin in the field, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, had slower starts. Bhatia posted a 2-over 73 to sit tied for 65th, while Yellamaraju carded a 3-over 74, placing him tied for 70th, according to a press release.

Theegala began with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes but dropped a shot on the third. He responded quickly with another birdie on the fourth and added further gains on the seventh and ninth, reaching 4-under at the turn in a strong position.

The back nine proved more challenging. Bogeys on the 10th, 11th, and 18th holes offset a lone birdie on the 15th, brought him back to a 2-under finish for the day.

Bhatia's round featured three bogeys and a single birdie, continuing a difficult stretch following The Players Championship, with missed cuts at both the Hero Indian Open and The Masters.

Yellamaraju had a tough start with a triple bogey on his opening hole. Though he managed one birdie soon after, a bogey on the 14th saw him slip further, ending the round at 3-over.

At the top of the leaderboard, Ludvig Aberg continued his consistent run of form, chasing a third PGA Tour title. He fired a bogey-free 8-under 63 to take a one-shot lead. Harris English and Viktor Hovland are close behind after both shot 7-under 64.

Scottie Scheffler, coming off a runner-up finish at The Masters, returned a 3-under 68 to sit tied for 20th. FedEx Cup leader Cameron Young opened with an even-par 71, placing him tied for 54th.

Defending champion Justin Thomas struggled in his first round, carding a 5-over 76 to fall to tied 80th on the leaderboard.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Tough day for Akshay and Sudarshan. A triple bogey on the first hole is a nightmare start for any golfer. Bhatia seems to be in a real slump after the Players. They need to regroup quickly. The cut line is going to be tight.
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Priya S
It's wonderful to see multiple golfers of Indian origin in a premier event like the RBC Heritage. Theegala has the talent to win one of these. Just needs to put together four solid rounds. The pressure on these young guys must be immense, representing the community on a global stage.
R
Rohit P
Aberg is just on another level right now. Bogey-free 63 is insane. Theegala is six back, which is a lot, but not impossible if he goes low tomorrow. Hoping for a moving day charge from all our boys! 🇮🇳
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Karthik V
With respect, I feel our media sometimes puts too much pressure by highlighting "Indian origin" for every player. Sahith Theegala is a fantastic golfer, period. Let's appreciate his game without the constant nationality tag. He's representing himself and his sport brilliantly.
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Michael C
The mental game is key. Theegala started so strong but couldn't maintain it. Bhatia's confidence looks shot after missing cuts. Golf is as much between the ears as it is on the fairway. Hope they have good sports psychologists working with them.

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