Akshay Bhatia Dazzles with Career-Low 62 to Grab FedEx St. Jude Championship Lead

Akshay Bhatia unleashed a career-low, eight-under 62 on Thursday to grab the first-round lead at the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship, the opening event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs at TPC Southwind in Memphis. The 22-year-old left-hander finished eagle-birdie-birdie, holing a 25-footer at 17 before stuffing his approach to two feet on 18, to edge Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke. Bhatia arrived in Memphis ranked No. 45 in the FedExCup; only the top 50 after this week advance to the BMW Championship and lock up spots in every $20 million Signature Event next season. “I felt pretty relaxed, and I’m just not trying to force anything,” he said, stressing a new focus on “keeping my mind peaceful” rather than chasing numbers. Key numbers • 8 birdies, 1 eagle, 2 bogeys • 12/14 fairways hit, 15/18 greens in regulation • Sixth time this season Bhatia has opened with a round of 65 or better Why it matters 1. FedExCup pressure: Sitting just inside the cutoff, Bhatia can punch his BMW ticket with a top-20 finish; a win would vault him into the Tour Championship conversation. 2. Ryder Cup auditions: U.S. captain Keegan Bradley is monitoring form; Bhatia’s low round puts his name firmly in the mix. 3. Breakout potential: Despite two runner-up finishes earlier in 2025, the former junior phenom is still chasing his maiden PGA Tour victory. Chasing pack Fleetwood carded a bogey-free 63, holing a bunker shot at the par-4 ninth to stay within one. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, back in competition after lifting the Open Championship, opened with 67 and sits five back. What’s working • Aggressive iron play: Bhatia led the field in strokes-gained approach (+3.2). • Hot putter: He needed only 26 putts, ranking second in strokes-gained putting. • Mindset shift: After admitting he “spent too much time thinking about rankings,” Bhatia credited a simplified pre-shot routine for Thursday’s surge. Quotable “It’s OK to get mad at golf shots, but not at yourself. I’m learning to let the bad ones go and stay in attack mode.” —Akshay Bhatia Looking ahead Friday’s second round will test Bhatia’s resolve as thicker rough and fresh greens continue to firm up. Another sub-par effort could give him a cushion heading into the weekend and, potentially, the inside track to his first Tour title—and a guaranteed place in every playoff event that follows. SEO keywords: Akshay Bhatia, FedEx St. Jude Championship leader, career-best 62, PGA Tour Playoffs, 2025 FedExCup standings, TPC Southwind, golf news today, rising golf stars, left-handed golfer success.