Key Points

Defending champion Aaron Rai is just one shot behind leader Cameron Young as play was suspended due to weather at the Wyndham Championship. Bhatia and Theegala missed the cut, ending their playoff hopes. Rai could make history as the first defending champion to lead after 36 holes since 1962. The tournament marks the final event before the FedExCup playoffs.

Key Points: Aaron Rai Trails Cameron Young at Suspended Wyndham Championship

  • Aaron Rai one stroke behind leader Cameron Young at 13-under
  • Play suspended due to dangerous weather conditions
  • Bhatia and Theegala miss cut, ending playoff hopes
  • Rai eyes historic back-to-back Wyndham Championship win
3 min read

Wyndham Championship: Defending champion Aaron Rai lies second as play is suspended; Bhatia and Theegala out

Defending champ Aaron Rai sits one shot behind Cameron Young as weather halts play at the Wyndham Championship, while Bhatia and Theegala miss the cut.

"Rai would become the first defending champion to lead after 36 holes at Wyndham since 1962. – PGA TOUR"

Greensboro, August 3

Defending champion Aaron Rai stayed in strong contention as she reached 13-under through 13 holes in the second round of the Wyndham Championship, the final event of the regular season on the PGA TOUR ahead of the FedExCup play-offs.

Rai was 7-under 63 in the first round and he was 6-under through 13 holes in the second. He was one shot behind Cameron Young (63 and 7-under through 15 in the second) at the Sedgefield Country Club.

The weather was mostly cloudy and humid with afternoon thunderstorms. The second round was suspended due to a dangerous weather situation at 4:32 p.m., with the entire afternoon wave yet to complete their round. The play was scheduled for the following day.

When the second round was suspended for the day, some of the players withdrew. Among them was Akshay Bhatia, who was 5-over for the tournament at that stage and was sure to miss the cut.

Sahith Theegala missed the cut with 72-74, and he will now miss the Play-offs after having made the Tour Championship last year. He will get back to action after the Play-offs, which begin with the Procore Championship next month.

At the time of the suspension, Cameron Young holds the solo lead at 14-under one shot ahead of 2024 Wyndham champion Aaron Rai. Mac Meissner and Sungjae Im, who played in the morning wave, finished their rounds at 12-under.

Rai trails Young by one stroke, and if he moves into the lead/co-lead when the second round is complete, he would become the first defending champion at the Wyndham Championship to do so after 36 holes since Mike Souchak in 1962.

He is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend at the Wyndham Championship since Sam Snead in 1956

Rai, who skipped the 3M Open, is a certainty for the Play-offs and is looking at improving his position to try and get into the second event for Top-50 and the Tour Championship which is for Top-30.

In the second round he began with three birdies on the trot and added a fourth on the fifth. Birdies on the 10th and the 12th took him to 6-under and he had five more holes to play when play was suspended.

Interestingly, Rai's maiden PGA Tour title was at Wyndham last year and in 2010 India's Arjun Atwal had won the same event.

Wyndham marks the final event of the PGA TOUR Regular Season with the top 70 players in the FedExCup at the end of the week qualifying for the FedEx St. Jude, the first leg of the three-event FedExCup Playoffs.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Remember when Arjun Atwal won this in 2010? That was such a proud moment for Indian golf! 🏌️‍♂️ Hope we see more Indian players making waves in PGA soon. The competition is getting tougher every year.
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Aditya G
The weather suspension makes it more dramatic! Rai has shown great consistency - 13 birdies in 31 holes is no joke. Fingers crossed he can make history by defending the title 🤞
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Michael C
As someone who follows golf closely, I think the article could have provided more context about how Indian players are performing overall in PGA this season. But great coverage of Rai's performance!
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Priyanka N
The pressure must be intense for Rai - defending champion tag plus weather delays! But he's handling it like a pro. Golf needs more Indian representation at top level. Let's go Rai! 💪
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Karthik V
Tough break for Theegala after making Tour Championship last year. Shows how competitive PGA Tour has become. Hope he bounces back stronger after the break. Meanwhile, Rai is making us proud!

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