Akshay Bhatia produced a stunning finish to his first round as he took the lead on day one of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club on Thursday, with England's Aaron Rai two shots off the lead. Bhatia racked up four birdies and chipped in an eagle from 83 feet in his final seven holes to finish with an eight-under-par round of 64. 'It's always nice to finish like that,' said Bhatia.
Montgomery had a six-under 30 on his front nine and added one more birdie on the back in a bogey-free round. He was pleasantly surprised by his performance, playing for the first time since withdrawing from the Byron Nelson in early May due to injured shoulders. 'I was more nervous today than I have been on the golf course in forever just because I felt so unprepared,' Montgomery said, adding he had played just four times in two months.