Akshay Bhatia fires 9-under 63 | Round 1 | Valero | 2024

In the opening round of the 2024 Valero Texas Open, Akshay Bhatia shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 to secure an early three-shot lead.

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It’s the final week before the season’s first major championship as the PGA TOUR heads to TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open. Rory McIlroy returns to make his third start of this event’s TPC San Antonio era; he finished runner-up in 2013 and missed the cut in 2022. He arrives here with 21 consecutive made cuts worldwide. Jordan Spieth plays in his home state this week. He finished runner-up here in 2015 and claimed victory in 2021. Missing the cut in his last two starts on TOUR, the three-time major winner is also looking to heat up before arriving in Augusta next week for the Masters Tournament. Canadian Corey Connors returns to defend his title this week. He looks to become the first back-to-back winner at the Valero Texas Open since Zach Johnson in 2008-09. He’s made five cuts out of five here and claimed victory in 2019 as well as last year’s success. Others to look out for are Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Fitzpatrick.

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302 off the T and 94 he’s got the power to get there but he’s going to have to chase something up that that first little Ridge excuse me that front Ridge set himself and his family back up back out on the PGA tour get to pick and

Choose which ones you want to play in amazing what a story it is you can see that line on the ball there Lisa just aiming just outside the left side that is nicely done one under trying to play a big cut off the right that is his preferred ball

Flight a can send it it is a ripped cut abbreviated follow through probably was flighting great shot flighted it exactly how he wanted it to how good is that in the hole there you there you go that looked like kind of a firm putt made it on the left

Edge that’s a good looking swing there he’s got that fade working today so and it’s a hole where you can hit AE batia who’s been playing some really good golf as of late from just over 100 yards with his second and delivering a nice one batia

Should be a birdie for him to move it to three under to nine here’s more of that strength of O’s game you talked about right here yeah he’s good ball Striker he’s got the best round going on the golf course this afternoon in the afternoon wave that’s fine I mean yeah

He’s going to miss the Green in regulation technically but he’s going thinking make when he gets up there b baa you said it was that make Zone here at n there you go right in the heart I’ll guarantee you when he walked up there and he saw it on that back tier

Just off the edge he’s thinking I can make it from there two1 buta off the green boy how nice is that right there really well judged coming out of that light rough keep that best round in the afternoon going no problem there good up and down we were talking about this last

Night Kur play well in the afternoon in the wind you get to come right back here’s batia from close range to get within one at 5 under come on no problems nine starts this year for for batia he’s missed the cut four times but when he’s made the cut all top 20

Finishes at 14 what’s batia looking at bil Ray 261 of the front playing back in the wind 268 total wind just picked up once again all it stays out of the Fairway bunker that’s going to be totally fine for o good opportunity to get to six under definitely going to pitch forward

This is really doable here mhm Smiley’s been working on his short game working with Gabriel Yad a PGA Tour winner there you go what a round this guy’s putting together today the guy with all the shots loves playing in the [Applause] Wind oh didn’t check up on just enough of that light and going downwind the greens are definitely firming up this afternoon as well shoot out in San Antonio AE batia the 22-year-old Southpaw for a birdie of 15 need’s trickle right and it does perfect speed right there he’s hit six

Of 12 Fairways but the misses have all been just off the edge of the Fairway that thing up the left hand side and this is going to be just fine Curt y going to have a little flip wedge there’s where mroy was a moment ago when

He was on the side of that Hill that’s going to be considerably closer after hitting driver yeah Kur this is going to be inter he’s got a couple options here is he going to drive it in the slope as you’re going to try to play it through

The air over that Ridge coming in very low should have a lot of spin another great shot Almost almost perfect boy that he just visualized he landed it right on top of the ridge low trajectory what I saw I nipped it but what a shot what a three for batia and he is now at 8 underp what a round he is putting together again

This is in a difficult windy conditions Dan me these guys are so good be careful now that Creek comes into play that’s a low shot find that bunker with this hole let the slope work it back to the hole oh that’s so good we’re just right at it how about a nine

Under 63 for AE batia bogey free I mean he did not even come close to dropping a shot today in the opening round and that’s impressive because when he started his round the wind was really blowing he played in some pretty tough conditions the beginning of his

Round what was the key to putting together such an incredible round today what stood out yeah I played solid uh I think also experienced out here I’ve played this is my third time here uh not many golf courses on the tour have been you know my third time so I think

Understanding the golf course a lot more and uh yeah I just played really solid I got a couple really good breaks and um yeah it was just a good day were there any particular shots or holes that stood out to you that you were proud of your

Performance I you know I figured after 14 so I’m 15 I knew that was a tough hole I knew I had two tough t- shots coming in 15 and 18 and if I could just you know get out of there with a par maybe birdie 18 just play it how we plan

To you know it all work out and I I thankfully birdie you know 15 and then 18 got a very good break and you know happened to kind of hit in the right spots at the right time and made birdie there so what’s the emotional part of

This for you like right now standing here with a three- shot lead at the end of the opening round doesn’t matter to me I’m just I’m excited to go and and sleep it’s been a long day it’s been very hot so you know I’m just trying to

Do the things that my my mental coach and I have been talking about and uh you know I’m not trying to win the golf tournament today but it’s just nice having a a nice day today has that mental component been a new development for you I know you were just talking

About that yeah it’s been a it’s been a change for me I I’ve worked with you know a guy for a long time um but I think truly unlocking more things outside the golf course is is really helped and um just feeling a lot more calmer myself happy this is why I play

The game right uh um and not to get you know too down on myself because there’s been so much stuff that I’ve learned over the last six seven months after winning that has truly became an impact on my golf and you know I’m starting to

Kind of finagle my way out out of that so it’s just keep learning and persevering for it through it it’s interesting looking at your season there’s been either Cuts or top 20s it seems like is there something that separates you know the good days from the bad just a lot of mentality stuff

Really I’m going to keep saying it you know it’s been a big thing it’s been a big change for me and I think the last couple weeks uh is kind of when I just started working with with Ryan my psychologist and that’s where it’s really paid off uh just changing those

Kind of the way I look into the days and and my my goals for for the day thanks for watching the PJ Tour on YouTube watch another video right here