The leaderboard on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional just isn’t stuffed with names as large as those that littered the Vacationers Championship final weekend, however one of many stars throughout final week’s occasion continued his nice play at Detroit Golf Membership on Thursday to guide by one after 18 holes of play.
Akshay Bhatia, who performed within the remaining group with Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim per week in the past, shot an 8-under 64 in Detroit to take that one-shot lead over Taylor Montgomery and Michael Kim.Â
The pattern is sweet with Bhatia, who has finishes of T22, T16 and T5 in his final three begins.
“I have been taking part in good the final three weeks,” he mentioned. “I really feel just like the outcomes have not been the place I’ve needed them to be, however I have been taking part in fairly stable. I have been proper there for, you understand, over 40 holes, I might say the final couple weeks. It is simply I am having some hiccups both Saturday or Sunday. I am simply making an attempt to determine that out. It is good to be on this place.”
It’s good to be in that place, but it surely’s not good to try to maintain off the blokes Bhatia will likely be dealing with. Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Younger and Nick Dunlap are 4 of the chasers going into the second spherical.
Let’s take a better have a look at Spherical 1 and see what’s in retailer for the subsequent few days of play.
The chief
1. Akshay Bhatia (-8)
I used to be shocked to study that Bhatia is now thirteenth within the U.S. Presidents Cup standings and will definitely soar into the highest 12 with a win or something near it this week. He is had an amazing 12 months and is now taking part in within the strokes gained ballpark with guys like Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and even Wyndham Clark.Â
It is a large soar from the place he was at a 12 months in the past — mainly a median PGA Tour participant — and a little bit of a revelation for any individual who remains to be 22 years outdated with two wins below his belt and trying to find a 3rd.
Different contenders
T2. Taylor Montgomery, Michael Kim (-7)
T4. Aaron Rai, Eric Cole, Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Matthias Schmid (-6)
T9. Cameron Younger, Nick Dunlap, Ben Kohles, Ben Silverman, Neal Shipley (-5)
The Rocket Mortgage Traditional has a brief however good historical past of manufacturing big-name, big-hitting winners. I am unsure Cameron Younger essentially matches the mildew for the previous, however he undoubtedly does for the latter. Younger shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday by dominating from tee to inexperienced.Â
This continues a run of scorching play that noticed him shoot 59-66 on the weekend final week on the Vacationers Championship and briefly get into competition at TPC River Highlands. Can Younger lastly break by for his first PGA Tour victory forward of the Open Championship in a number of weeks, the place he has discovered a ton of success and performed fairly effectively in his previous few outings?
I say sure, however I’ve additionally thought sure earlier than when Younger has not come by.
“I imply, it is definitely a pleasant factor to form of have [a 59] in your again pocket,” mentioned Younger. “If it begins to really feel prefer it’s not going nice, like ‘Hey, I shot 59 not very way back, so it is in there someplace.’ Yeah, I had frankly form of a wrestle main as much as by Thursday of final week, and I form of simply saved saying it’ll go fairly laborious the opposite method sooner or later. Yeah, I really feel like I have been taking part in some respectable golf for some time and scoring poorly and to form of see the scores come a bit of bit extra is basically promising.”
The true Nick Dunlap
Following his win on the American Categorical as an newbie, Nick Dunlap performed what needed to have been a few of the worst golf of his life. He missed cuts, completed eightieth, T53 and all over the place in between. The expertise was nonetheless in there, however for a 20-year-old out on the PGA Tour for the primary time, the training curve is all the time steep.
Dunlap, it appears, is slowly beginning to put the items collectively. He completed T12 on the Memorial. He missed the minimize on the U.S. Open and performed poorly on the Vacationers, however on Thursday he opened with a 67 at Detroit Golf Membership.
“I have never began very effectively the final couple weeks,” he defined. “Swing felt very nice right this moment popping out fairly early morning. I drove it nice, ironed it properly. Clear up on some velocity work across the greens, however total very, very impressed with the best way I form of navigated round right this moment.”
The curve is tough for anyone who turns professional, a lot much less any individual who nearly by accident turned professional. It is good to see him regain the arrogance and the sport a bit six months into all of this as a substitute of six years. As a result of issues can go sideways in a rush in professional golf, however Dunlap appears to have righted the ship.
2024 Rocket Mortgage Traditional up to date odds, picks
- Akshay Bhatia: 33/10
- Cameron Younger: 10-1
- Aaron Rai: 11-1
- Will Zalatoris: 12-1
- Rickie Fowler: 16-1
- Min Woo Lee: 16-1
- Michael Kim: 16-1
I am not in love with any of those numbers, to be sincere. Give me Dunlap at 35-1 forward of all of those guys. If I’ve to decide on any individual right here, I am in all probability going with Younger at 10-1 over everybody else, although I am intrigued by Zalatoris at 12-1 (although I feel he usually performs higher on harder golf programs).Â