Aaron Rai lies 4th in PGA and Bhatia is 29th and injured Theegala withdraws

Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai. 

Khel Today Bureau

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas, who has never finished in Top-20 at a Major, shot his best score in a Major with a 7-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in a field that has 98 of the world’s Top-100 players.

Another player of Indian interest, Akshay Bhatia carded 1-under 70 to be Tied-29th, but Sahith Theegala pulled out the night before the first day as his strained neck continued to affect his movements. The two Indian-Americans, as also Rai, played the Tour Championships last year and were in the Top-30 of the world. Bhatia and Theegala are Hero Global Ambassadors.

As World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 2-under 69 and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy carded 3-over 74, Indo-British Aaron Rai did well to shoot 4-under 67 and was in a tie for fourth with European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, 47, who shot the day’s only bogey free round of 67. The US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley shot 68.

Defending champion Schauffele wound up with a 72 in his bid to go back-to-back in the PGA Championship.

The three-time major champion, Jordan Spieth, looking to win here for the career Grand Slam, had three straight bogeys early on the back nine and shot 76.

Rai opened on the tenth with a birdie and added three more in a row from the 14th to the 16th to go 4-under after eight. He bogeyed the 18th but on his second nine, the front side of Quail Hollow course, Rai had one birdie on the seventh and parred the rest.

Vegas blazed his way with five birdies on his last six holes, ending with an 18-footer on No. 8 and a 25-footer on the ninth for 64 in this Major in three years.

Vegas led by two over rookie Ryan Gerard, who was the only other player to reach 7 under until bogeys on his last two holes saw him drop to 66 alongside Cam Davis of Australia.

McIlroy didn’t make a birdie over his last 12 holes and he hit the range soon after the finish.

Scheffler and defending PGA champion Xander Schauffele commented on mud balls on tee shots, particularly the 16th where both had double bogeys.

Yet, Scheffler holed two shots from off the green — one for birdie, one for eagle.