SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Akshay Bhatia on Friday joined Ryo Hisatsune at the top of the PGA Tour Pebble Beach Pro-Am leaderboard on 15-under par, with a resurgent Rickie Fowler hot on their heels.

California-born Bhatia scored 64, with back-to-back bogey-free rounds to join overnight leader Hisatsune at the pinnacle.

It comes off the back of 24-year-old Bhatia’s joint-third-placed finish at last week’s Phoenix Open.

“Just building off last week. Played really nice last week, just starting to kind of catch my groove,” said Bhatia, who has two previous PGA Tour wins to his name.

Bhatia enjoyed six birdies and an eagle at the par-five 14th, where he chipped in from 47 feet out in the rough.

“I feel like my golf swing’s in a really nice spot, shot options are in a really nice spot and starting to see some putts fall,” he said.

Meanwhile Japan’s Hisatsune built on his career-best 10-under opening round with a fine five-under par 67.

He bogeyed both the 18th and 1st as he made the turn at Spyglass Hill — one of two in use for the event’s first two days — but regained his composure and eagled the par-five seventh and birdied the ninth for a strong finish.

The 23-year-old from Okayama, who won the 2023 Open de France on the DP World Tour, has been stepping it up in pursuit of a first US PGA Tour title.