Indian-origin golfers Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala had contrasting starts at The American Express tournament. Bhatia opened with a solid 4-under 68 at La Quinta Country Club, while Theegala managed a 1-under 71 at the challenging Pete Dye Stadium Course. Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju posted a 2-under 70 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course but faced tough competition due to the low scores.
Ideal weather conditions at the tournament led to a flurry of birdies as players navigated the unique three-course format. Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody set the pace with identical 10-under 62s at the Nicklaus Tournament Course, known for being the easiest layout among the three. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler impressed with a bogey-free 9-under 63 at La Quinta, just one shot behind the leaders.
Scheffler’s stellar performance included remarkable iron play despite missing fairways. Nine players finished the day at 9-under 63, including Vince Whaley and S.H. Kim, all vying for their first PGA TOUR titles. Defending champion Sepp Straka struggled, ending the day at even par after a challenging round.
