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The Open Championship: Akshay Bhatia got off to a stellar start at the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship, carding a 4-under on the front nine to briefly lead the leaderboard. As the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs began in Memphis, the Indian-American golfer positioned himself strongly to advance beyond his 45th-place start in the standings.

Bhatia birdied the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 8th holes, showing early confidence. He was grouped with Harry Hall, who also made a fast start at 3-under, making for a high-performing pairing.

This tournament is the first of three playoff events that follow the conclusion of the regular PGA Tour season. The top 50 players in the FedExCup standings after this week will qualify for the BMW Championship next week — making this an important tournament for players like Bhatia and Aaron Rai, who are on the qualification bubble.