Bhatia stretches lead to five strokes at PGA Texas Open
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Akshay Bhatia of the United States playing his tee shot on the 4th hole during the second round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on April 5.
PHOTO: Getty Images via AFP
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WASHINGTON – Akshay Bhatia stayed on course for his first Masters appearance after two late birdies in a second-round 70 on April 5, giving him a five-stroke lead at the PGA Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
The American, who is on 11-under 133, matched his career-low PGA round with a 63 in the first round on April 4 and struggled to follow up well but stayed ahead of the pack.
“It was stressful, for sure, wasn’t my best stuff,” said the 22-year-old. “I struggled a lot off the tee. Golf swing didn’t feel great with any of the longer stuff, but iron play was still phenomenal, wedges were good, made some nice putts.
“I’m reading the greens really good so I understand when I’m missing putts why that’s happening, so it’s good, understanding where I need to improve the next couple days.”
Bhatia is five shots clear of the field after Denny McCarthy bogeyed the par-five 18th for a two-under 70 to drop into a tie for second at six under with Russell Henley (69) and Brendon Todd (72).
Bhatia could qualify for next week’s Masters if he turns in a strong weekend. The Texas Open champion will receive the final berth at Augusta, if not already qualified.
Starting his day on the back nine, he opened birdie-bogey and picked up another bogey at the par-four 15th hole after three-putting from 62 feet. But a birdie at the par-five second got him back on the right track.
He followed a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-three seventh with a stellar save at the par-five eighth, where he got out of a greenside bunker on his third shot and made a five-footer for birdie.
Rory McIlroy is alone in fifth at five under after a 70 (three birdies, one bogey). The world No. 2 from Northern Ireland is tuning up for Augusta, where he will try to complete the career Grand Slam and end a nearly 10-year Major drought.
“It was pretty good,” McIlroy said. “It was tricky conditions. Akshay is playing really well, but apart from that, no one’s really lighting the world on fire.
“Just keep grinding away. I’ve made only one bogey over two days, which I’m really pleased with.”
Webb Simpson (67) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (69) are part of a tie for sixth at four under.
Notable names missing the cut of one over include Matt Kuchar (three over) and Rickie Fowler (four over).
Over at the LPGA Match Play tournament in Las Vegas, Ireland’s Leona Maguire cruised into the quarter-finals while the rest of the field scrambled to advance out of strokeplay in the third round on April 5 at Shadow Creek Golf Course.
Maguire responded to a bogey on the second hole with four birdies for a three-under 69. That left her at six-under 210, three clear of Japan’s Minami Katsu, who shot a 72 to finish tied for second alongside Americans Angel Yin and Rose Zhang (both 73).
South Korea’s Kim Sei-young was in solo fifth at two under after a 74, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda made a huge rise up the leaderboard with a 69, moving from a tie for 20th to sixth place. An Na-rin of South Korea fired a 72 for seventh spot.
Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn claimed the final quarter-final berth by winning a play-off after finishing in a four-way tie at two over with South Korean Ryu Hae-ran (71), Canada’s Brooke Henderson (74) and Japan’s Yuka Saso (75).
As the top seed, Maguire faced Jutanugarn in the matchplay knockout rounds, with the results unavailable at press time.
AFP, REUTERS
