Hilton Head Island, April 17 -- Sahith Theegala opened his campaign at the RBC Heritage with a 2-under 69, leaving him tied for 27th in the $20 million Signature event. While he trails leader Ludvig Aberg of Sweden by six shots, the round began on a strong note, with Theegala picking up three birdies in his first four holes and four in the opening seven.

The other two players of Indian origin in the field, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, had slower starts. Bhatia posted a 2-over 73 to sit tied for 65th, while Yellamaraju carded a 3-over 74, placing him tied for 70th, according to a press release.

Theegala began with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes but dropped a shot on the third. He responded quickly with another bi...