Akshay Bhatia won the Korn Ferry Tour for the first-time this year. He’s close to the halfway mark in the 2023 Bahamas Great Exuma Classic Sandals Emerald Bay. 2.
Bhatia, then 19, was making his first KFT debut one year ago . He won . Here in 2023, he opened with a 67 Sunday – the KFT season opening tournament is a Sunday-through-Wednesday affair – and posted a 69 on Monday. Four bogeys and two birdies were his front-end score, but he closed the round with four birdies (including Nos. 15, 16, and 17. Monday’s 67 was achieved despite a double-bogey. He’s at 8 under. Play Monday was halted due to darkness. There were still 14 golfers on the course.
After rounds of 69–67, Shad Tuten is at 8 under. The third place finisher is Cody Blick, Chandler Phillips, and Daniel Miernicki. Blick is still only 15 holes away.
Chase Seiffert (10), Grayson Murray (13) and Camilo Villegas (44.88) are other notables. Willie Mack III (T-93) is another notable participant.
Jeremy Paul, the first round leader, followed his 65 with a 79 during the second round.
This week’s purse is $1,000,000, with $152,272 going the winner.
