Dublin (USA), June 5 (IANS) Indian-origin golfers, Aaron Rai, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, remained within striking distance after a demanding opening round at the Memorial Tournament, one of the PGA Tour’s premier Signature Events, while fellow Indian-American Sahith Theegala also stayed in contention despite a difficult start.

The challenging conditions at Muirfield Village Golf Club ensured that low scores were scarce, with only 22 players breaking par. Against that backdrop, Rai, Bhatia, and Yellamaraju all posted identical rounds of 1-over 73 to share 33rd place, while Theegala opened with a 2-over 74 and was tied for 44th.

At the top of the leaderboard, Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun, and Ryan Gerard set the early pace with rounds of 5-under 67.

Much of the attention among Indian golf followers centred on Aaron Rai, who was making his first appearance since his landmark triumph at the PGA Championship. The Englishman of Indian heritage returned to competition looking to build on the biggest victory of his career and produced a steady if unspectacular round.

Starting on the front nine, Rai birdied the fourth and seventh holes but gave both shots back with successive bogeys on the eighth and ninth. He briefly moved under par again with a birdie at the 11th, but dropped strokes on the 12th and 17th holes to finish at 73.

Akshay Bhatia’s opening round followed a similar pattern of promise and frustration. The Indian-American left-hander appeared poised to join the small group of players under par before a costly mistake at the final hole undid much of his good work.

Bhatia picked up early bogeys at the fourth and eighth holes and turned in 2-over par. However, he responded strongly on the back nine with consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th before adding another at the 14th to move into red figures for the day.

The momentum disappeared at the closing hole. After finding trouble off the tee, Bhatia ran up a double bogey and slipped back to 1-over, leaving him tied alongside Rai and several high-profile names, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

One of the pleasant surprises of the opening day came from Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju. Having begun the week uncertain of a place in the field and only gaining entry after withdrawals, he took full advantage of the opportunity.

Yellamaraju endured a shaky beginning with bogeys on two of his first three holes. He recovered with a birdie but reached the turn at 2-over after another dropped shot on the eighth. The back nine told a different story as birdies at the 11th and 12th brought him back into contention. A lone bogey on the 15th prevented an even better score, but his 73 represented a solid start in elite company.

Theegala, another player with Indian roots and a Hero-supported golfer, faced a tougher day. His card featured plenty of drama, including an eagle and two birdies, but six bogeys proved costly as he settled for a 2-over 74. Despite the uneven round, he remains well within reach heading into the second day.

The demanding nature of Jack Nicklaus’ renowned layout was reflected across the leaderboard. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, seeking a third consecutive Memorial title, could manage only a 73 after mixing three birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey.

Fleetwood’s round stood out among the leaders. The Englishman was the only player in the leading quartet to remain bogey-free, compiling five birdies in a flawless 67. Clark combined an eagle with five birdies, Spaun recorded seven birdies during his round, while Gerard produced one of the most colourful cards of the day, featuring eight birdies and an eagle.

Six-time major champion Rory McIlroy was among the select group to break par, carding a 1-under 71 despite an early double bogey. He finished tied 13th, five shots behind the leaders.

With the leaderboard tightly packed and scoring difficult, the Indian-origin contingent remains firmly in the hunt as the Memorial Tournament moves into the second round.

–IANS

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