Akshay Bhatia Wins Stunner at Arnold Palmer Invitational
For one thing, Akshay Bhatia was always going to be an unlikely winner at the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of the stacked field. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy (prior to his withdrawal), Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, and Tommy Fleetwood are among the best in the world.
For another thing, Bhatia wasn't truly in contention until a furious run on the back nine that forced a stunning playoff with Daniel Berger. He had to make some difficult, impressive, risky shots just to get to the playoff.
Akshay Bhatia wins first Bay Hill playoff this century
After 72 holes, Akshay Bhatia and Daniel Berger were inseparable. They needed extra golf to decide the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It was held at Bay Hill, where there has not been a playoff since 1999. Early on Sunday, it would've sounded insane to think Bhatia and Berger would tie at the end of the day.
Bhatia fell behind by five shots and decided to, as Palmer would have, play as boldly as he possibly could. "If he was up there watching, he's probably pretty proud of how that finished," said Bhatia after receiving the trophy and the iconic red cardigan of API winners.
"Play bold -- I think that was a big thing everyone knows of Mr. Palmer," Bhatia said. "I could feel that energy and buzz. It was awesome. I'm very fortunate to win this tournament." Bold might be putting it lightly after what the golfer did.
After falling behind by five shots, Bhatia made four straight birdies to crawl back into contention. He was still two shots back with three holes to play, though, which is not an ideal place to be. Still, he was determined.
He took a huge risk by playing his 6-iron to the dangerous pin on the par-5 16th hole. It nearly went in on the second bounce but landed close enough for an easy eagle that totally transformed the tournament.
He admitted that he wasn't necessarily trying to hit the pin there. "It was one of those professional pushes," said Bhatia. "I wasn't trying to aim at the flag." He was the only golfer to hit his second shot within 10 feet of the 16th hole all day, and it proved to be a crucial moment in his comeback.
"Everyone knows when you show up to Bay Hill it's going to be a test," Bhatia said. Fittingly, it required extra holes. Bhatia has won three PGA Tour titles so far, although never a Signature Event like this. They've all required playoffs.
Daniel Berger's tough but helpful loss
Daniel Berger had led from the onset and was trying to become the first wire-to-wire winner at Bay Hill since 2016. He is also returning from a back injury that cost him 18 months in 2022 and a recent broken finger, but he fell just short. "It's tough to win. It's tough to battle," he said. "But I feel like I did a good job, and a shot here or there was the difference."
Despite the loss, this was a big performance for Berger. Because he placed second, he has ensured that he'll be invited to the British Open, the fourth and final Major of the season in July. He also earned plenty of OWGR points, rising to 34th.
With the Masters looming, that's critical. The top 40 in OWGR are invited, and Berger rose from 61st last week. He went from having virtually no shot at playing in the first Major next month to almost locking up a spot despite the crushing loss.
Bhatia rose from 39th to 19th in the world. He is making a case as one of the most exciting players in the world, especially given his propensity to win in playoffs.
