Akshay Bhatia opens with a 63 to lead Texas Open by 3. Rory McIlroy is 6 back
Akshay Bhatia has opened with a 63 to build a three-shot lead in the Valero Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Akshay Bhatia rode the rare experience of knowing a PGA Tour course with a sublime day with his irons for a 9-under 63 on Thursday, giving him a three-shot lead in the Valero Texas Open and taking a small step toward a potential trip to the Masters.
The Texas Open is the last chance for players to qualify for Augusta National by winning. The 22-year-old Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship last summer, but it was held opposite the British Open and didn't count toward a Masters invitation.
And that's thinking too far ahead for Bhatia, anyway.
“Doesn't matter to me,” Bhatia said of his lead. “I'm excited to go and sleep. It's been a long day, it's been very hot. I'm just trying to do the things that my mental coach and I have been talking about and I'm not trying to win the golf tournament today. But it's just nice having a nice day.”
