2024 Texas Open leaderboard, scores: Akshay Bhatia leads after Round 1 with Rory McIlroy, Max Homa lurking

Everything came easy to Bhatia on Thursday at the Texas Open, and a three-stroke lead was his reward

One of the biggest and brightest young stars in the game came to play in the Lone Star State. Akshay Bhatia was brilliant around TPC San Antonio on Thursday as he carded nine birdies and no bogeys to shoot a 9-under 63 and open up a three-stroke lead on the field.

Bhatia began his day on the more difficult front side, but it didn't seem to matter. Connecting on three birdies across his first four holes, the wiry left-hander was off and running. He added one more at the turn and went into the inward half where more of the same was in store.

Tap-in birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 sandwiched a long distance connection on the 15th. Bhatia went to the par-5 18th with a chance to tie the lowest round of his career, and he would do just that as one last tap-in birdie resulted in a back-nine 31 and a bogey-free 63.