Akshay Bhatia birdied the closing gap in regulation, then capitalized in sudden dying when Patrick Rodgers discovered a divot within the fairway to win his first PGA Tour title on the Barracuda Championship on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Bhatia, who turned professional at 17, earned full standing on tour and a spot within the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had been enjoying beneath particular short-term membership since his runner-up end on the Puerto Rico Open in March.
“It’s clearly been a very robust highway. I’ve had a number of up, a number of down. Plenty of good, a number of unhealthy,” Bhatia mentioned. “However I knew I used to be going to get right here. It was simply matter of time. For it to occur this yr with particular short-term membership and now to get to play all these occasions and to get it accomplished at present was, I can’t even describe it.”
Bhatia transformed a birdie from about 15 ft on the par-4 18th gap at Tahoe Mountain Membership to complete with 40 factors beneath the modified Stableford scoring system that awards 5 factors for eagle and two for birdie whereas deducting a degree for bogey and three for double bogey. The slender left-hander had 9 factors on Sunday. He made double bogey on the par-4 fifth gap, then made six birdies and not using a bogey from there.
That was adequate to match Rodgers, who missed a birdie try from roughly the identical distance on the 18th. Rodgers scored six factors within the remaining spherical, with one birdie and two bogeys on the again 9 for zero factors.
Within the playoff, Rodgers’ tee shot on the 18th settled in a divot and he chunked his method. His pitch was nicely quick and he two-putted for bogey. Bhatia left his birdie putt simply quick and tapped in for the victory.
“I knew that if I received right into a place like this, I may do it. I’ve accomplished it at each stage. Man, that felt uncomfortable on the market,” Bhatia mentioned. “That putt on 18 in regulation was simply, man, it’s a loopy feeling. I as telling my caddie, like, your mind and the whole lot, you possibly can really feel all this adrenaline, all this shakiness. It’s fairly loopy.”
Rodgers stays winless in 246 PGA Tour begins. The 31-year-old former Stanford star didn’t convert a 54-hole lead for the fifth time.
“I felt like I had management of the event. I had a putt to win, which was good. So, bummer outcome,” Rodgers mentioned. “Type of a crummy break there within the playoff. In the midst of the green to drive it in a divot. However that’s simply the way in which it goes. I’ll come again stronger.”
Two European tour gamers tied for third within the co-sanctioned occasion. Julien Guerrier made 10 birdies on Sunday to attain 20 factors and end with 37 alongside Jens Dantorp, who had 15 factors within the remaining spherical.
Ryan Gerard, additionally a particular short-term member, was fifth with 36 factors. He totaled simply six factors over the ultimate two rounds.
Bhatia largely struggled his first three years after bypassing school to show professional. He received within the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour in the beginning of 2022 however nonetheless fell in need of incomes a PGA Tour card.
Now he’s eligible for among the richest occasions in golf, together with the PGA Championship.
“For it to all come to fruition, play with among the finest gamers on the earth, play among the best occasions on the earth, and to win on the PGA Tour … it’s an important feeling,” Bhatia mentioned. “As a result of (of) job safety now I can type of, not free wheel, however I understand how to win. I do know I can do it towards among the finest gamers on the earth.”