Akshay Bhatia makes a good start, Tied-seventh at the Memorial

Dublin (USA), May 30 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia overcame a double bogey and two other bogeys on a demanding golf course with dense rough to shoot a creditable 2-under 70 in the first round of the Memorial Tournament.

The Indian-American golfer, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, was Tied-seventh and lying five shots behind the in-form Ben Griffin (65), who won last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge and continued that form here this week.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler was not at his best but still shot 70 at Muirfield Village.

The other Indian-American in the field, Sahith Theegala, coming back from a neck strain, which forced him to miss an event, shot 2-over 74 and was Tied-31st, while Aaron Rai, the Indo-British star, was T-68 after a round of 79.

Bhatia, who was T-3 at the Players, and then ninth and T-9 at Mexico and Genesis in successive starts, made a good start,

Bhatia opened with a birdie but promptly gave that shot back on the next hole. A birdie on the fifth was followed by a double bogey and a birdie as he closed the front nine with an even-par 36. He began the back nine well with birdies on the 11th, 14th, and 15th but gave away a bogey on the 18th as he missed a 10-foot par putt.

Theegala was one-under for the front nine with a 45-foot birdie putt on the sixth. On the back nine, he bogeyed the 10th and double-bogeyed the 11th after going into the water and then into the rough.

He bogeyed the 13th, too, but picked a birdie on the 14th with a 25-foot birdie. On the Par-3 16th, he hit his tee shot to nine inches and holed for a birdie but again dropped a shot on the 18th for a 2-over.

Rai had three birdies, two bogeys, and an incredible four double bogeys for 7-over 79.

Griffin showed great form, shooting 65 despite hitting twice into the water. Griffin just kept making birdies, along with an eagle on the par- 5 seventh hole with a 3-wood into 12 feet. Griffin led by two shots over Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa another stroke behind.

Only 13 players broke par in a gentle wind but the course, at Muirfield Village, had dense roughs like the US Open, which is scheduled next week at Oakmont. Shane Lowry played alongside Griffin and had a 69, one of only six players to break 70.

--IANS

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