Tony Finau makes a statement about Akshay Bhatia after playing with him at The Players

The 36-year-old from Salt Lake City burst out of the blocks earlier than 4 consecutive bogeys across the flip halted him in his tracks.

However, Finau made eight birdies on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass and that’s no imply feat given how tough the situations had been.

Meanwhile, Bhatia carded 4 birdies, a double bogey and a bogey in his opening spherical of 71 at The Players.

Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational final week and as a outcome, he’s clearly filled with confidence now.

Tony Finau makes a statement about Akshay Bhatia after playing with him at The Players

Finau and Bhatia are shut associates away from the golf course.

And they clearly had a nice trip on the golf course on Thursday morning.

After his first spherical, Finau was requested what he manufactured from Bhatia’s sport after watching him up shut and private on day one in all The Players.

“Yeah, Akshay is a good pal so I do know him properly,“ Finau stated.

“Super pumped for him and his group coming off an unbelievable week. The child, I’ve stated it for a very long time, the long run is — there’s no ceiling for this child.

“To be capable of play with him, once more, he’s a good pal, and to have the ability to play with him when he’s playing good golf, and me simply sort of making an attempt to play good golf, it was a lot of enjoyable.“

Bhatia is clearly very highly-rated amongst his fellow PGA Tour gamers.

Now the following step for him might be to contend within the very greatest tournaments on a constant foundation.

Tony Finau delivers verdict on TPC Sawgrass after day one in all The Players

Finau was requested by reporters what his relationship with the golf course at TPC Sawgrass is like.

“After right this moment’s spherical, in the event you’re simply asking that, we’ve acquired a good relationship,“ the 36-year-old stated.

“Eight birdies is sweet, I feel, round this place. If I can eradicate a few of these bogeys we’ll have a shot on Sunday, however I positively put myself in competition right this moment.

“17 and 18, you’re going to listen to it by eternity. Those two pictures, when the wind is off the left, these are nightmare pictures, nightmare holes.

“I’ve acquired to play them higher over the following few days. But these holes are about as exhausting because it will get.“

Finau performed very properly on day one in all The Players Championship.

If he manages to tidy up his sport ever so barely, he might properly have a actual likelihood to win come Sunday afternoon.