Bhatia’s fellow Americans Russell Henley (69), Denny McCarthy (70) and Brendon Todd (72) are tied for second on six under.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood moved to four under with a 69, which included three birdies, and Scotland’s Martin Laird is on two under after another 71.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Sergio Garcia is in a three-way tie for the lead after the opening round of LIV Golf Miami.
The 44-year-old former Ryder Cup player carded a five-under-par 67, which included no bogeys and ended with birdie threes on the final two holes.
Garcia, who has had 36 wins during his professional career but not won since joining the LIV tour in 2022, leads at the Trump National Doral course alongside Americans Talor Gooch and Peter Uihlein, with two rounds of the 54-hole tournament remaining.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is among four players a shot back, while Jon Rahm, who will aim to defend his Masters title at Augusta National next week, is on three under.