Akshay Bhatia has become a winner for the first time on the PGA Tour at the 2023 Barracuda Championship. After draining a must-make putt on hole 18, the 21-year-old managed to force a playoff. During the playoff hole, Bhatia held off Patrick Rodgers and earned a $684,000 share of the purse.
This event marked Akshay Bhatia’s first-ever start on the Korn Ferry Tour. Despite the nerves that may have arisen from that milestone, Bhatia persevered. After posting a score of 40 points, he conquered the unique Stableford scoring format. Julien Guerrier and Jens Dantorp tied for third place after recording 37 points.
A win could not have come at a better time for Bhatia. On top of being fully exempt on the PGA Tour through 2025, he improved his position to No. 90 in the FedExCup race. This is important to note as the season winds down because the top 70 players will advance to the playoffs.
The PGA Tour shared Bhatia’s final putt in regulation on Twitter.
Seung-Yul Noh got off to a strong start during the first round. His push to first place was fueled by three eagles. Yul Noh also carded five birdies and ended day one with a remarkable 23 points. This effort earned him a 6-point lead over the rest of the field heading into day two. Beau Hossler’s first round saw him record two eagles and four birdies. This performance earned Hossler a spot in second place.
Zecheng Dou and Ryo Hisatsune led the way during the second round. The duo recorded 16-point rounds for a share of first place. Despite a slow round one, Dou carded seven birdies and one eagle on Friday. Hisatsune managed to record six birdies and one eagle. After a steady 16-point first round, Ryan Gerard followed up with a solid second round. Gerard sank seven birdies and avoided a single bogey on his way to earning 14 points. This effort moved him into second place.
After flying under the radar during the first two rounds, Akshay Bhatia made his presence known. On Saturday he carded six birdies and one eagle. To make things sweeter the lefty also managed to avoid a single bogey. His 17-point third round marked the best score of the day.
On the way to an eventual victory, Akshay Bhatia showed off during the final round. While playing the par-4 16th hole, Bhatia hit his tee shot onto the green. After narrowly missing an eagle putt, he settled for a tap-in birdie.
The next tournament on the PGA Tour is the 3M Open. This event will be hosted at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, MN and features a $7.8 million purse. The 2022 3M Open was won by Tony Finau who shot a 17-under 267.
Tony Finau was red-hot at the end of last year’s season. His 3-stroke triumph at the 3M Open marked the first of two consecutive PGA Tour victories. The following week, Finau went on to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic. These wins marked the third and fourth of the 33-year-old’s career.
Former world No. 1 Justin Thomas has entered the field for the 2023 3M Open. Despite being one of the most well-known golfers on tour, Thomas is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career. His choice to enter the field for the 3M Open is largely based on his desire to compete in this year’s Ryder Cup. JT needs to accumulate as many points as he can as the regular season nears its conclusion.
The 3M Open will be available for streaming on Golf Channel.
Stay tuned for more PGA content including tournament previews, recaps and breaking news!
Featured image courtesy of The PGA Tour
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