Akshay Bhatia clinched the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, defeating Daniel Berger in a playoff to take home £3million in prize money. The 24-year-old produced a remarkable comeback after trailing Berger by four shots with nine holes remaining.
A string of birdies on the back nine drew Bhatia level, forcing a playoff at Bay Hill. Bhatia then held his nerve with a par, while Berger could only manage a bogey, handing the American victory. It was his third PGA Tour title, all of which have come via playoffs.
However, the final round was not without controversy. According to Golf.com, PGA Tour officials instructed the final group, which included Bhatia and Berger, to quicken their pace. As a result, Berger began walking to the 16th tee before Bhatia had finished the 15th hole, with Bhatia subsequently bogeying the hole and slowing his charge.
Reflecting on the win, Bhatia admitted that frustration played a part in his resurgence. "I missed that putt on nine, that was just a lack of focus," he said. "And then I just played with some anger for those couple of holes. The putt on 11 was a huge bonus for me. That really switched my momentum." He added: "Daniel played amazing. This game is so crazy, it's been crazy for these last couple weeks. You just never know what can happen in this game."
Berger, despite the narrow defeat, struck a positive note. "I'm proud of myself," he said. "Obviously it didn't go the way I wanted it to, but at the start of the week if you told me I would have a chance on the 18th hole to win Bay Hill, I would be ecstatic with that. So a lot of positives, a lot of things to learn from."
