The 19th edition of the FedEx Cup Playoffs kicked off Thursday, featuring a notable performance by one of the youngest players in the field. Akshay Bhatia excelled in the opening round of the 2025 St. Jude Championship, shooting an impressive 8-under 62, achieving a new personal best on the PGA Tour and claiming a one-stroke lead over Tommy Fleetwood.
“This course favors strong ball strikers,” Bhatia stated. “Statistically, successful players here have excelled off the tee, which plays to my strengths. A few holes may not align with my game, but overall, I feel comfortable and can play to my strengths without many difficult shots.”
During his first round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Bhatia demonstrated excellent ball-striking, hitting 10 fairways and 15 greens in regulation, leading in strokes gained tee to green. He started with a 4-under after 15 holes and finished strong, scoring three consecutive 3s, including an eagle on the par-5 16th, bringing his score to 8 under as he finished.
Bhatia stands poised to move from No. 45 to No. 4 in the FedEx Cup standings, should he maintain his lead. However, he faces tough competition from English players Tommy Fleetwood, Harry Hall, and Justin Rose, all at 6 under, along with a group of American Ryder Cup hopefuls, including Ben Griffin, Maverick McNealy, Brian Harman, and Wyndham Clark.
Reliable Russell Henley also remains in contention with an opening round of 66, matched later by Collin Morikawa. But the player to watch is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who missed only a few fairways and finished with a steady 67, ensuring he remains a strong contender as the tournament progresses.
“I had a solid day,” Scheffler noted. “I felt close to a great round but left with a decent score. It’s a good start overall.” Bhatia, despite his impressive metrics this season, had not secured a top-10 finish since the Players Championship prior to this event. He acknowledged the pressure of keeping track of his standing, affecting his performance earlier.
Other Contenders
2. Tommy Fleetwood (-7)
T3. Bud Cauley, Justin Rose, Harry Hall (-6)
6. Si Woo Kim (-5)
T7. Maverick McNealy, Ben Griffin, Russell Henley, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa (-4)
Rose started strong despite battling an illness earlier in the week, finishing with a dazzling 64. He indicated that his focus and intensity rise during significant tournaments, which was evident on Thursday. “It was my first time on the course this week, but I felt good,” he added, highlighting how he prepared well for the round.
