Indian-American Bhatia Tied-seventh At Tour Championship

Indian-American Bhatia tied-seventh at Tour Championship (Image Source: IANS)

DP World Tour: Akshay Bhatia rode a five-hole stretch with four birdies in the middle of the round as he added 3-under 67 to his first 66 to get to 7-under at the Tour Championship.

Bhatia parred seven holes and then birdied the seventh with an eight-foot putt. He holed a 22-footer on the 11th and then two 13-footer for birdies on the 12th and the 13th to get to 4-under.

Back-to-back bogeys on the 13th and the 14th set him back but he closed the day with two good shots to 28 feet and two-putted for a birdie on the par-5 18th.

Tommy Fleetwood had eight birdies in his round of 7-under 63 to share the lead Friday with Russell Henley (66) at the top.

Fleetwood is searching for his first PGA Tour win to go along with a string of DP World Tour titles as he moved to 13-under in the tight race for the USD 10 million prize, as the winner this week wins two trophies - the FedExCup and the “Calamity Jane” replica putter that serves as the Tour Championship trophy.

Henley had another birdie-birdie finish for a 66 to join him in a share of the lead at 13-under 127 which was extraordinarily low scoring.

There has been a lot of heavy rain at East Lake, and the tee times forward to avoid a stoppage in play. Greens are soft, they run true and preferred lies are in place making them perfect for low scoring.

Cameron Young boosted his Ryder Cup hopes with a 62 and he was two shots behind.

Patrick Cantlay, the FedExCup champion from 2021, shot 30 on the back nine and had a birdie-birdie-eagle finish. He shot 66 and was three behind, along with BMW Championship runner-up Robert MacIntyre.

Scottie Scheffler hit a wedge to a foot on the final hole for a 69, which while not being among his best, did extend his streak of 19 consecutive rounds under par. He was five back.

Patrick Cantlay, the FedExCup champion from 2021, shot 30 on the back nine and had a birdie-birdie-eagle finish. He shot 66 and was three behind, along with BMW Championship runner-up Robert MacIntyre.

The new format being used this year sees the top 30 players start at even, instead of the top seed getting a two-shot lead and the bottom five players starting 10 shots behind.

Article Source: IANS