PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Removed from the false expectations of Taylor Swift displaying up at Pebble Seaside, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune quietly went about their enterprise at Spyglass Hill, sharing the highest spot at Friday’s AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.
Bhatia had two bogey-free days at Pebble Seaside and Spyglass Hill, each of which had been dry days with light winds and gentle greens, permitting him to put up good scores at each programs. He had six birdies and chipped in with a 50-foot eagle on the 14th gap en path to a 64.
Hisatsune, who began with a 62 at Pebble Seaside, stumbled in the midst of the spherical with back-to-back bogeys, however made up for it with sufficient birdies (and an eagle) backwards and forwards to put up a 67.
The general rating was 15-under 129, the bottom for 36 holes because the event moved to a two-course rotation as a signature occasion in 2024.
Spyglass Hill’s Rickie Fowler (64) and Sam Burns (67) had been one stroke aside. Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and defending champion Rory McIlroy had been lurking. Scottie Scheffler lastly hit his stride, enjoying the ultimate seven holes for a 5-under 66, however the No. 1 participant on the planet nonetheless heads into the weekend with a nine-stroke lead.
“I believe ‘inch-up’ can be the suitable phrase there,” Scheffler mentioned of his progress. “We’ll see what occurs on the finish of the day. I imply, it should be two fairly particular rounds, three actually particular rounds, however we’re by no means going to get out of there. We’ll see what the climate does.”
The massive hypothesis Friday was not a lot the climate, however whether or not Swift would come to observe her fiancé, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce, play at Pebble Seaside.
A big crowd had gathered. There was an enormous subject. Swift, who was mentioned to be on the town, was nowhere to be seen, however she wasn’t on the golf course. She nonetheless led to a surge in ticket gross sales. When Kelce was introduced as a part of the newbie division, he was value $60,000, however within the 12-hour window earlier than dealing with Pebble, he was value $21,000.
“We had been busy with out her,” mentioned Mackenzie Hughes, who performed with the group. “If it had been her, I believe it could have actually been an enormous mess.”
The one confusion was protecting monitor of who had fallen the place. The climate was at its greatest on Thursday, so it is no marvel 4 of the main gamers performed at Pebble Seaside that day.
“I assumed yesterday was a superb day to be right here,” Spieth mentioned after taking pictures a 68 at Pebble Seaside. “We had fairly a problem in the direction of the tip immediately, however the greens are very receptive they usually’re not that quick in the meanwhile.
“Pebble will get much more fanged over the subsequent two days.”
This signature occasion has no 36-hole minimize apart from Kelce, Pau Gasol, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the remainder of the amateurs.
Bhatia, who tied for third finally week’s Phoenix Open, has performed 44 holes with out a bogey during the last three rounds.
“It is nice to haven’t any bogeys on these golf programs,” Bhatia mentioned. “The greens might be bumpy, and relying on how sloped the greens are, you’ll be able to have some actually troublesome putts. So I have been actually constant inside 5 – 6 toes. … Whenever you really feel such as you’re in a groove, it is simply enjoyable.”
McIlroy is seeking to accomplish that aim in his first begin for the USA this yr. He had two three-putt double bogeys from 4 toes and stalled at Spyglass Hill. He bought off to a robust begin and appeared good early on the again 9 at Pebble Seaside, however he suffered a bogey on the par-5 14th when he chipped right into a bunker from a clumsy spot to the appropriate of the inexperienced.
“I really feel like I wasted a bit bit the final two days,” mentioned McIlroy, who was six pictures behind. “I may not have been in a position to benefit from an excellent begin.”
Scheffler felt like his rating wasn’t superb Thursday, however he had an identical efficiency at Spyglass Hill, with a sequence of excellent pictures, good putts and a chip-in for eagle on the par-5 seventh gap. He was 9 pictures behind and was seeking to prolong his file of 17 consecutive top-10 finishes. He tied for thirty third place.
Everybody heads to Pebble Seaside for the ultimate two rounds, however Hisatsune thinks he could not see the identical course the place he shot a 62 on Thursday.
“I hope there is not any wind,” Hisatsune mentioned.
One factor was for positive: Wind was extra more likely to present up than Taylor Swift.
