Golf: Indian-American Theegala and Rai shoot 9-under, lie 13th in Zurich Classic

Avondale (USA), April 25 (IANS) Indian-American Sahith Theegala partnering another pro with an Indian touch, Aaron Rai, shot nine-under and the pair was Tied-13th after the first day at the Zurich Classic. The pair was five shots behind PGA Tour rookies, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, who totalled 14-under.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy, playing for the first time since winning the Green Jacket, teamed with Shane Lowry to shoot an 8-under 64 in Four-ball (best-ball) in the Zurich Classic.

Another Indian-American, Akshay Bhatia, who like Theegala, landed an Indian sponsor, Hero, ahead of the Masters this month, played with Carson Young and they totalled eight-under to be Tied-18th.

Salinda and Velo opened with a tournament-record 58 in the Tour’s only team event. They were 10-under for the front nine with eight birdies and an eagle from Salinda on the Par-5 seventh. On the back nine, they were four-under to total 14-under.

Danish identical twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard were a shot back. The teams will play Foursomes (alternate shot) Friday, Four-ball Saturday and Foursomes Sunday.

A large gallery gathered on the 10th tee at TPC Louisiana before 8 am local time to see McIlroy. Shaking off an early-week illness, he provided a few highlights after a relatively slow start.

Lowry carried the team early, birdieing three of the first holes after their back-nine start and adding another on the par-5 18th.

McIlroy’s first birdie came on a nearly 20-foot putt on No. 1, which he celebrated with a light-hearted fist-pump. McIlroy followed that with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, hitting a 6-iron from 204 yards to 5 feet to get to 8-under.

Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama were tied for third at 61 with the teams of Cam Davis/Adam Svensson, Paul Peterson/Thomas Rosenmueller and Kris Ventura/Antoine Rozner.

Adam Schenk had an albatross on the seventh, holing out from 231 yards. Schenk and Tyler Duncan shot 63.

Yannik and Jeremy Paul of Germany, the other identical twins – the third team with siblings - in the field, shot 67.

--IANS

ab/