Fedex Playoffs: Akshay Bhatia leads the St. Jude championship, with Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler Difficult | News Golf
Akshay Bhatia posted an eight -year -old career record of 62 years to win an advance on Tommy Flettwood in the St. Jude championship to open the Fedex qualifiers.
Bhatia arrives in the playoffs classified 45th, with only the first 50 passing to the second of three front tournaments which is reduced again to the Top 30 at East Lake for a shot with a bonus of $ 10 million.
The defending champion and Scottie Scottie Scheffler, n ° 1 of the world, playing for the first time since the complaint of his fourth major victory – and the second of the year – at the Open, is five in advance after Bogeyey the last hole for an opening 67.
“Today was a good day. I did solid stuff,” said Scheffler, who is assured of seed n ° 1 for at least a week. “I felt like I was about to play a very good round, but I ended up with a solid turn. Overall, a decent start.”
Bhatia appreciated a flamboyant finish in his Record round, winning an eagle on the 16th before separating from the paying partner, Harry Hall in England, with other birdies at 17th and 18 years old.
“I felt quite relaxed and I just don’t try to force anything,” said Bhatia afterwards. “It’s normal to get angry with golf strokes but not against yourself.”
Justin Rose and Bud Cauley, like Hall, also displayed 64s at TPC Southwind to stay two in advance and one of Fleetwood in second position.
Tommy Fleetwood is a advance shot after the first round of the St. Jude championship
The popular Englishamn is practically assured of reaching the Fedex Cup final, sitting at N ° 9 in the ranking currently, but is still worrying about this elusive title of the first PGA round.
The 34 -year -old man struck 13 of the 14 fairways, and the one he missed still led to a Birdie when he put on a bunker shot in the ninth.
“People talk about this golf course as a second -blow golf course, but it’s just a second -stroke golf course if you are in the fairway,” said Fleetwood. “I hit the ball so well from the T-shirt that I always gave myself an opportunity.”
Elsewhere, Rickie Fowler, who missed the after-season last year, entered the St. Jude championship at No. 64 in the ranking, but his first 66 project him in the top 50.
Jordan Spieth, from n ° 48, had to rally on the nine rear for a 69 which had briefly outside the top 50, before being back by the end of the day.
The FEDEXCUP is a competition for seasonal points where players earn points depending on how they occur in PGA Tour events, with additional points offered to majors, players and “signature events” of the PGA Tour.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McILroy are both former Fedexcup winners
The playoffs were launched in 2007 and received several adjustments to qualification and format since this year having three tournaments which all offer limited field sizes.
Only the first 70s in the ranking of a season qualified for the Fedex St Jude championship, which was held at TPC Southwind in Memphis from August 7 to 10, with the top 50 after that qualifying for the BMW championship at the Valley Golf Club Caves Maryland from August 14 to 17.
These two events offer 2,000 points Fedexcup to the winner – four times the amount granted for a regular event of PGA Tour, the two also not having a reduction of 36 holes.
The top 30 of the ranking after these tournaments qualify for the Tour championship, which takes place from August 21 to 24 at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, with the three events exclusively Live on Sky Sports.
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