Akshay Bhatia takes 5-shot lead into the weekend in San Antonio

Valero Texas Open R2

Akshay Bhatia followed up his bogey-free 9-under 63 with a 70 featuring four birdies and two bogeys to move to 11-under 133 at the midway point of the Valero Texas Open. His five-stroke 36-hole lead equals the largest on Tour this season (Patrick Cantlay at the 2024 Genesis Invitational).

“It was stressful, for sure, wasn’t my best stuff. I felt like I struggled a lot off the tee today, golf swing didn’t feel great with any of the longer stuff, but iron play was still phenomenal, wedges were good, made some nice putts. I know I’m reading the greens really good so I kind of understand when I’m missing putts right now why that’s happening. So it’s good, a good kind of understanding of kind of where I need to improve the next couple days.

“I felt way calmer than I expected to [playing with the lead] and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing. It was definitely — you know, it’s different because you have expectations like, oh, I just shot 9-under so can I just do that again. It’s not possible. I mean, this golf course is so hard, the wind was a lot trickier today, greens are getting firmer and firmer even in the morning. It’s just kind of pace myself and try and execute.”

The American has had five top-20 finishes in nine starts this season, with a T11 at last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open his best result. He had one win in 53 prior PGA Tour starts at the 2023 Barracuda Championship.

Brendon Todd closed with a 72 and a share of second place at 6-under alongside fellow Americans Russell Henley (69) and Denny McCarthy (70).

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, shot a 70 to move into fifth place at 5-under. His current streak of five starts to start the season without a top-10 is his longest since 2010, his first season as a member, when he won the Wells Fargo Championship in his sixth start to earn his first career PGA Tour title.

“It was pretty good,” said McIlroy. “I mean, I think, you know, I could stand here and say I wish I was a few shots better and missed a few putts and whatever, but it was tricky conditions.

“Obviously Akshay’s playing really well, but apart from that, no one’s really lighting the world on fire.

“Just keep grinding away. I’ve only made one bogey over two days, which I’m really pleased with. Would have been nice to make a few more birdies, but pretty happy with the last two days.”

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2Total
1Akshay Bhatia-116370133
T2Brendon Todd-66672138
T2Russell Henley-66969138
T2Denny McCarthy-66870138
5Rory McIlroy-56970139
T6Tommy Fleetwood-47169140
T6Webb Simpson-47367140
T6Adam Schenk-47169140
T6Peter Kuest-46971140
T10Matti Schmid-36972141
T10Robby Shelton-37170141
T10Nick Hardy-37170141
T10Jordan Spieth-37368141
T10Thorbjørn Olesen-37269141
T10Ryan Moore-37071141
T10Mark Hubbard-37368141
T10Corey Conners-37071141
T18Aaron Baddeley-27270142
T18Ben Martin-27171142
T18Martin Laird-27171142
T18Tyler Duncan-27171142
T18Lucas Glover-27072142
T18Stewart Cink-27369142
T18Austin Eckroat-26874142
T18Bronson Burgoon-26973142
T18Kevin Chappell-26973142
T18Chan Kim-27072142
T18Rico Hoey-27171142
T18Victor Perez-27270142
T18Pierceson Coody-27171142
T18Andrew Putnam-27270142
T18Charley Hoffman-27270142
T18Max Homa-26874142
T34Ben Griffin-16974143
T34Chez Reavie-17568143
T34Hideki Matsuyama-17370143
T34Garrick Higgo-17271143
T34Sam Stevens-17271143
T34Kevin Streelman-17172143
T34Alexander Björk-17073143
T34C.T. Pan-17172143
T34Justin Lower-16677143
T34Adam Scott-17370143
T34Ludvig Åberg-17271143
T34Davis Thompson-17073143
T34Ben Silverman-17172143
T47Keith MitchellPar7569144
T47Nate LashleyPar7272144
T47Kevin KisnerPar7470144
T47Adam SvenssonPar6975144
T47Harry HallPar7371144
T47Josh TeaterPar7272144
T47Christiaan BezuidenhoutPar7371144
T47S.H. KimPar7371144
T47Tom WhitneyPar7272144
T47Vince WhaleyPar7371144
T47Andrew NovakPar7371144
T47Collin MorikawaPar7074144
T47Brian HarmanPar7173144
T47Tyson AlexanderPar6876144
T47Joe HighsmithPar7371144
T47Parker CoodyPar7272144
T63Bud Cauley+17471145
T63Lanto Griffin+17570145
T63Kevin Yu+17273145
T63Ben Kohles+17471145
T63Alex Noren+17372145
T63Mac Meissner+17273145
T63Ryan McCormick+17273145
T63Aaron Rai+17273145
T63Carl Yuan+17570145
T63Maverick McNealy+17174145
T63Nicolai Højgaard+17273145
T63Matt Fitzpatrick+17174145
T63Brandt Snedeker+17669145
T63J.J. Spaun+17372145
T63Vincent Norrman+17273145
T63Dylan Wu+17273145
T63David Lipsky+17174145
T63Beau Hossler+17471145
T63Ryo Hisatsune+17174145
T63Hayden Springer+16976145
CUTJacob Bridgeman+27472146
CUTZach Johnson+27076146
CUTCallum Tarren+27274146
CUTChesson Hadley+27373146
CUTWilson Furr+27274146
CUTBen Taylor+27274146
CUTErik van Rooyen+27076146
CUTErik Barnes+27373146
CUTChad Ramey+27274146
CUTHarrison Endycott+27076146
CUTMatt Kuchar+37374147
CUTPaul Barjon+37374147
CUTDoug Ghim+37176147
CUTNorman Xiong+37275147
CUTRoger Sloan+37473147
CUTLee Hodges+37374147
CUTGrayson Murray+37275147
CUTPatrick Fishburn+37473147
CUTMichael Kim+37374147
CUTRyan Brehm+37572147
CUTCarson Young+37770147
CUTBrandon Wu+37671147
CUTCamilo Villegas+37176147
CUTJoseph Bramlett+37275147
CUTChandler Phillips+37176147
CUTJorge Campillo+47078148
CUTJhonattan Vegas+47375148
CUTJimmy Walker+47474148
CUTHayden Buckley+47375148
CUTTroy Merritt+47177148
CUTEric Cole+47474148
CUTRickie Fowler+47672148
CUTBilly Horschel+47573148
CUTKevin Dougherty+47276148
CUTJimmy Stanger+57475149
CUTByeong Hun An+57475149
CUTHarris English+57277149
CUTJ.B. Holmes+57079149
CUTRyan Fox+57079149
CUTGreyson Sigg+57376149
CUTChris Gotterup+57673149
CUTAlex Smalley+57475149
CUTTaylor Pendrith+57178149
CUTScott Gutschewski+67773150
CUTPadraig Harrington+67575150
CUTNicholas Lindheim+67377150
CUTDavis Riley+67575150
CUTSeamus Power+67377150
CUTRyan Palmer+67575150
CUTTom Kim+77378151
CUTJoe Sullivan(a)+77576151
CUTJoel Dahmen+77477151
CUTRaul Pereda+77477151
CUTLuke Donald+87775152
CUTAdrien Dumont de Chassart+87577152
CUTK.H. Lee+87775152
CUTBlaine Hale, Jr.+88369152
CUTDavid Skinns+87577152
CUTMax Greyserman+87775152
CUTAdam Long+87775152
CUTRafael Campos+87676152
CUTCameron Champ+97776153
CUTZac Blair+97875153
CUTAlejandro Tosti+107579154
CUTAlex Welch+107876154
CUTMatt NeSmith+117976155
CUTBen Willman+117976155
CUTAndrew Landry+127779156
CUTSam Ryder+138077157
CUTNico Echavarria+158277159
CUTTom Adrounie+208777164
W/DPatrick Rodgers-78-78
W/DTrace Crowe-79-79
W/DTaylor Montgomery-81-81
Updated: April 6, 2024