Rai certain to make cut; Theegala, Bhatia struggle at the Open
Portrush (N Ireland), July 18 (PTI) Indian-American Sahith Theegala's come back to the Majors after missing the last two events ended early at Portrush while Aaron Rai (69-72) ensured his presence for the final two rounds at the 153rd Open here.
Theegala shot 75-74 and is almost certain to miss the cut.
Indo-British Rai, who at one stage was in joint lead in the first round at 4-under, finally finished the first day at 2-under in Tied-10th place and then slid with an 1-over 72 in the second round.
At 1-under for 36 holes, he was provisionally at T-20 and certain to make the cut.
Another Indian-American, Akshay Bhatia, who was third at the Players Championship and fourth at Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge, shot 2-over 73 and was just around the cut line in T-68 but was yet to begin his second round.
The world No. 46, Theegala, who missed the US PGA and the US Open due to injury returned to the Open in difficult conditions after a neck injury.
Rai, who had made just one cut in his first Major starts, has since made seven straight cuts, including all four in 2025.
Rai, who played the Tour Championship alongside Theegala and Bhatia in 2024, T-27 at the Masters, T-19 at PGA Championship and T-33 at the US Open.
Rai had four birdies in his first eight holes in the first round and then three straight bogeys from the ninth to the 11th followed by a birdie on the 12th.
He closed with six successive pars for a 2-under 69.
In the second round, Rai had two birdies on the 12th and 15th and bogeys on the sixth, seventh and the 14th for a 72.
Bhatia's first round 73 included two birdies on the fifth and the seventh and three bogeys on the third, fourth and the 13th.
Theegala playing his first event since the last week of May at the Memorial, Theegala was happy to be back, but lack of play showed as he had just two birdies against four bogeys and a double bogey in a round that finished very late.
In the next round, he was marginally better with two birdies against five bogeys for a 3-over 74 and a total of 7-over.
In the first round, Li Haotong became the first Chinese player to be joint leading at the end of a day's play at The Open, as he shared the lead with four others.
The five were Haotong, Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, American Harris English, South African Christian Bezuidenhout and the 2022 US Open winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, all of whom shot 67 each.
Only 31 players were under par at the end of day one as against 41 after the first round in 2019 at Portrush and Li Haotong and Justin Rose (69) were the only ones to sign for bogey free rounds.
A victory by any of the co-leaders would mark the 12th consecutive first-time Open Championship winner.
The 2024 British Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen has two prior starts on the PGA Tour which are the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon (T60), 2025 ISCO Championship (MC) and he held his first lead after any round on Tour.
Fitzpatrick recorded his best opening-round score in his 10th start at The Open Championship and bettered his previous best of 69 in 2017.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was Tied-sixth after carding an opening-round 68 in bid to become the second straight player to win the PGA Championship and Open Championship in the same season after Xander Schauffele did that in 2024.
He is the only player to finish inside the top 10 in the first three majors of the 2025 Masters Tournament (4th), 1st/PGA Championship (win), U.S. Open (T-7).
The 2025 Masters Tournament champion and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 70 and was -20.
Schauffele bidding to become the first player to successfully defend at The Open since Padraig Harrington (2008), posted an even par 71 and was T-32 after first round. PTI Corr UNG
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments
First Published:
July 18, 2025, 19:45 IST
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