“It was pretty crazy,” the relieved Akshay Bhatia said after sealing a tense playoff finish over Denny McCarthy to win the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio on Sunday. Along with his second PGA Tour title, Bhatia also sealed the final remaining berth at the Masters next week, some 10 years after having played a drive-chip-putt competition at Augusta National as a boy.
Leading from day one and holding a four-stroke advantage at the start on Sunday, Bhatia (63-70-68-67, 20 under par 268) was hauled in by the experienced, but still winless McCarthy (68-70-67-63, 20 under 268) on the back stretch of TPC San Antonio, the PGA Tour said.
McCarthy went on a record-breaking run with eighth birdies over the nine holes to close the gap on Bhatia and almost won it on the 18th hole with a birdie, only to see his young opponent do the same and set up the playoff.
“Denny played unbelievable,” Bhatia pointed out later. “Coming off nine, I had a great up-and-down, six-shot lead, nine holes to play. You're like OK, let's see how big this lead can get. He makes a 20-footer from off the green, I three-putt from off the green. Birdie the next, he pars. Now we're back to five.
“From there it was just unbelievable how good he hit it. The putts he made, I mean, that guy has some guts and he's going to win a lot of times out here. But I did tell him in scoring, I was like, ‘Hey, man, you're in Augusta already, come on, let me go’. For real, it was awesome what Denny did. That's kind of -- it was a really good feeling kind of making that putt on 18 in regulation when he made it. You know, just fortunate to hit a couple good shots on 18 in the playoff and get it done. “I did a great job this week, I played some phenomenal golf. I learned a lot about myself last week and I think it carried over to this week,” he added after making sure he would join fellow Indian-American Sahith Theegala at the Masters.
Bhatia nearly ran away with the tournament with his six-shot lead before McCarthy ramped up the pressure on Bhatia who made a 11-foot 72nd hole birdie putt to force the playoff. McCarthy double-bogeyed the first elimination hole which Bhatia birdied to seal his second career PGA Tour win.
World number two Rory McIlroy (69-70-72-66, 11 under 277) of Northern Ireland was third nine shots behind Bhatia and McCarthy while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was the best-finishing Asian in shared seventh on 8 under par 280.
Bhatia turned pro at age 17 after an glittering junior career. Instead of going into college, Bhatia went through the struggles of professional life, missing seven straight cuts in 2020 and losing his tour card in 2021. He then earned back his card in 2022 and went on to win the 2023 Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field PGA Tour event that earned him no points.
In the leadup to San Antonio. Bhatia was top 15 at The Sentry, the Sony Open and the Farmers Insurance Open. He missed the next three cuts but recovered with a T17 at the Valspar Championship and a T12 at Houston before the San Antonio win. He will also play the US Open besides having earned full rights till 2026.
Bhatia did almost nothing to give his lead away on Sunday, birdieing three of his first four holes and dropping just one shot for his closing 67 against McCarthy’s 63. Bhatia also needed to overcome injury down the final stretch when he partially dislocated his shoulder and needed some quick treatment before continuing.
“When I made the putt in regulation, I raised my arm and I put it in kind of an uncomfortable spot, kind of dislocated, it came back in,” Bhatia said later. “It's happened before. I had this happen from pickleball and then had it happen in Bermuda, but it's just going to feel a little loose. My physio, he'll take care of me. I'm not too, too concerned.”
On how it felt on going back to Augusta for the Masters, Bhatia added, “Augusta National's obviously very special. I think it's one week of the year that everyone wants to be there, checks it off. “As a kid going there for the first time in the inaugural Drive, Chip & Putt was pretty special, something I'll always remember, wearing those baggy pants, making that putt on 18, just looking like a goofball. I can't wait to go back. I was watching a little bit today. Seeing these kids hit on the range, how people watch, it's unbelievable. Just even seeing some players, you feel kind of like a pinch-me moment.”