Rory McIlroy's title defense at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is facing an uphill battle as Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune take the lead. Bhatia's impressive 64 puts him and Hisatsune at 15 under, with McIlroy six strokes behind after a strong finish. The Northern Irishman's day was highlighted by five birdies and an eagle, but bogeys on the 10th and 14th holes cost him dearly. Bhatia, an American, had an outstanding round at Spyglass Hill, while Hisatsune recovered from early mistakes to finish strongly. Rickie Fowler and Sam Burns are in second place at 14 under, chasing their first wins in over a year. Austria's Sepp Straka is the top-ranked European at 12 under, with several other top players close behind. England's Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland's Shane Lowry are in the mix at nine and eight under, respectively. Scottie Scheffler made a strong comeback with three birdies and an eagle in a five-hole stretch. England's Justin Rose and Harry Hall, along with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, are at five under. The final two rounds will be played entirely at Pebble Beach, and there's no 36-hole cut at this $20 million PGA Tour event. But here's where it gets controversial... The lack of a cut could lead to some unexpected results, and it's sure to spark debate among golf fans. What do you think? Will the top players maintain their form, or will the course and conditions play a bigger role? Share your thoughts in the comments!
