Cromwell [US], June 26 (ANI): Aaron Rai continued his impressive run of form by moving into the top 10 after the opening round of the Travelers Championship, while fellow Indian-origin golfer Akshay Bhatia also made a promising start as the PGA Tour’s final Signature Event of the season got underway at TPC River Highlands.Rai, coming off an excellent tied-11th finish at last week’s US Open, carded a flawless five-under 65 to finish tied eighth, just two shots behind first-round leader Eric Cole. Bhatia signed for a four-under 66 to share 14th place, while Sahith Theegala, was left with work to do after a disappointing four-over 74 left him tied for 70th.Rai once again showcased the consistency that has made him one of the Tour’s steadiest performers this season. He never dropped a shot during his round and steadily built momentum with birdies on the second, seventh and ninth holes to reach the turn in three-under.He maintained complete control on the back nine, adding further birdies at the 13th and 15th to complete a bogey-free 65. The round continued Rai’s rich vein of form following his breakthrough PGA Championship victory earlier this season and another strong showing at the US Open.Bhatia’s scorecard told a more eventful story. He opened with a birdie but slipped back with bogeys on the second and fourth holes before mounting an impressive recovery. Three successive birdies from the sixth through the eighth helped him move under par by the turn.The left-hander then caught fire again on the inward half, making another run of three consecutive birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes. A bogey at the closing 18th prevented an even better finish, but his four-under 66 keeps him firmly in contention with three rounds remaining.Theegala, who enjoyed the best major finish of his career with a tied-11th placing at the US Open last week, struggled to find the same rhythm. Early bogeys on the third and fourth holes put him on the back foot before a costly double bogey on the 11th, after finding trouble off the tee, made the task even harder.Birdies on the 13th and 15th briefly revived his hopes, but another double bogey on the 17th left him signing for a four-over 74. With TPC River Highlands traditionally yielding plenty of birdies, Theegala will be aiming for a low round on Friday to climb back into contention.Leading the tournament is Eric Cole, whose bogey-free seven-under 63 earned him a one-shot advantage. The American, still seeking his maiden PGA Tour victory, produced a clinical display after arriving with renewed confidence following a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He also has unfinished business at this event after illness forced him to withdraw before the final round last year, despite being in contention.Defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was among six players tied for second after a blemish-free six-under 64. Scheffler overcame an amusing pre-round hiccup–forgetting to wear a belt and borrowing one from fellow professional Sam Burns–to stay firmly in the hunt alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, Ben Griffin, Nico Echavarria, Kristoffer Reitan and Bud Cauley.With 14 players separated by only two strokes after the opening day, the tournament promises a closely fought contest. From an Indian perspective, however, the early headlines belonged to Rai and Bhatia, both of whom have positioned themselves strongly to challenge for one of the PGA Tour’s biggest prizes outside the major championships. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)