sport news Akshay Bhatia earns last-minute Masters invite as he wins Texas Open - where he ... trends now
Akshay Bhatia survived a wild finish at the Texas Open to earn a trip to the first major of the year next week.
Bhatia, who became the first Drive, Chip and Putt participant to qualify for the Masters, won the Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in a playoff against hard-luck Denny McCarthy.
However, he almost celebrated too soon, hurting his left shoulder while pumping his arms on a 12-foot birdie to force a playoff. He recovered to make birdie on the first extra hole and win.
McCarthy was six shots behind going to the back nine at the TPC San Antonio when he birdied eight of the nine holes - including the last seven - making a 12-foot birdie for a 9-under 63. Bhatia had to make his birdie putt from the same range to have a chance.
He made it for a 67, raising his arms to shake them in his clutch moment. And that's when he felt his shoulder - which he says has given him trouble before - pop out of its socket.
Akshay Bhatia survived a wild finish at the Texas Open to earn a trip to The Masters
Bhatia beat Denny McCarthy in a wild playoff finish at the Texas Open on Sunday
Bhatia poses with the Valero Texas Open trophy alongside fiancee Presleigh Schultz
Bhatia hit his tee shot and laid up with a 5-iron on the par-5 18th in the playoff.
McCarthy, playing in his 174th PGA Tour event without winning, was first to play and chunked a wedge so badly that he immediately hung his head. The ball came up some 20 yards short into the middle of a creek.
And then Bhatia called for treatment, jogging off the course briefly to get his shoulder taped. He returned and hit wedge to 6 feet. Needing three putts to win, he holed it to win for the second time on the PGA Tour.
'Man, what a crazy, crazy day,' said Bhatia.
The Texas Open is a special event for Bhatia as, not only did it present his ticket to The Masters, but also his fiancée Presleigh Schultz, who he first met at the event in 2021.
The 22-year-old Bhatia, who turned pro five years ago, won at the Barracuda Championship last summer. It was held opposite the British Open, so it did not get him into the Masters.
This one did, his first trip to Augusta National. And it came 10 years after Bhatia played in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at the home of the Masters. Now he gets to play on more than just the 18th green, and he fulfilled his mother's wish.
'This is awesome,' he said. 'It's hard to win
