Akshay Bhatia began the PGA Tour’s season finale three strokes off the lead, while Min Woo Lee matched East Lake’s course record with a bogey-free 62.
Akshay Bhatia moved into early contention at the Tour Championship with an opening 5-under 65 at East Lake Golf Club.
The 24-year-old Indian-American made seven birdies against two bogeys to finish tied for fifth alongside World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, three strokes behind leader Min Woo Lee.
Bhatia took advantage of the rain-softened conditions, making consecutive birdies at the fifth and sixth before adding another pair at the 11th and 12th. He picked up further shots at the 16th and 17th to complete a strong finish.
A bogey on each nine prevented him from climbing higher, but the Hero-backed golfer remained firmly in contention with three rounds to play.
Bhatia arrived at East Lake ranked 15th in the FedExCup standings after finishing tied for 12th at the BMW Championship. This is his third consecutive appearance at the season-ending event.
Lee marked his Tour Championship debut with a bogey-free 62, matching the East Lake course record and establishing a two-stroke advantage.
The Australian collected eight birdies, including four converted from beyond 10 feet, and closed with another gain at the par-five 18th. The score also matched the lowest round of his PGA Tour career, first recorded at The American Express earlier this season.
Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup shared second at 6-under. Hovland holed more than 141 feet of putts, while Gotterup joined Lee and Scheffler in completing bogey-free rounds.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 66, with BMW Championship winner Wyndham Clark another stroke back after making two late birdies. Three-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy began with a 68.
All 29 players who completed the opening round finished at even-par or better. The original 30-player field was reduced when 2025 US Open champion J.J. Spaun withdrew after five holes because of a shoulder injury.
Photo – PGAT
