akshay bhatia pga tour card

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2024 Texas Open leaderboard, scores: Akshay Bhatia leads after Round 1 with Rory McIlroy, Max Homa lurking

Everything came easy to bhatia on thursday at the texas open, and a three-stroke lead was his reward.

One of the biggest and brightest young stars in the game came to play in the Lone Star State. Akshay Bhatia was brilliant around TPC San Antonio on Thursday as he carded nine birdies and no bogeys to shoot a 9-under 63 and open up a three-stroke lead on the field.

Bhatia began his day on the more difficult front side, but it didn't seem to matter. Connecting on three birdies across his first four holes, the wiry left-hander was off and running. He added one more at the turn and went into the inward half where more of the same was in store.

Tap-in birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 sandwiched a long distance connection on the 15th. Bhatia went to the par-5 18th with a chance to tie the lowest round of his career, and he would do just that as one last tap-in birdie resulted in a back-nine 31 and a bogey-free 63.

Bhatia may have rolled in the most birdies on the day, but he was not the only man to go bogey-free. Rory McIlroy is within arm's reach after 18 holes thanks to a bogey-free 69.

"Doesn't matter to me," Bhatia said, referring to his lead. "I'm excited to go and sleep, it's been a long day, it's been very hot. I'm just trying to do the things that my mental coach and I have been talking about and I'm not trying to win the golf tournament today, but it's just nice having a nice day today."

Battling inconsistencies and the big number in the first three months of his season, McIlroy was steady in Round 1. Seeking the help of swing coach Butch Harmon, the four-time major champion got the big left miss out of his system, at least for one day, and helped him to keep his ball in between the bumpers.

There were a couple missed opportunities sprinkled in there -- namely the par-5 14th and par-5 18th -- but it was a clear step down the right path for a player who was searching for direction.

"The miss I was struggling with the last few weeks has been a left miss with the irons, and if anything, most of my misses today were to the right, so it was actually a pretty good thing," said McIlroy. "I'd much rather miss it to the right at the minute than miss it to the left. Yeah, I thought I played pretty well, hit some nice shots, played pretty consistently. I think it's the first round I've had without a bogey in quite a while. My game over the last couple months has been quite volatile, so to go out there and play a solid round of golf in pretty tricky conditions, pretty happy with it."

1. Akshay Bhatia (-9)

There is still a long way to go in this tournament, but with one spot remaining in the Masters field, it is Bhatia who has the inside track to earn the final invitation into the first major championship of the season. The one-time PGA Tour winner was flawless Thursday with nine birdies against zero dropped shots to open up a three-stroke lead on the field. Coming off back-to-back quality outings at the Valspar Championship and the Houston Open, Bhatia has rolled this into more of the same in San Antonio. If he is able to continue to do this across the next three days, Bhatia will be packing his bags for Augusta where long left handers like himself have thrived.

The leader showing off his touch around the greens. @AkshayBhatia_1 leads by two @ValeroTXOpen . pic.twitter.com/jvtAv102Nd — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 4, 2024

Other contenders

T2. Justin Lower, Brendon Todd (-6) T4. Max Homa, Denny McCarthy, Austin Eckroat, Tyson Alexander (-4) T8. Rory McIlroy, Ben Griffin, Hayden Springer, Adam Svensson Russell Henley, Matti Schmid, Garrick Higgo, Jorge Campillo (-3)

Homa fired one of the rounds of the day thanks to three birdies in his final four holes. Entering this week with a couple question marks surrounding his game (mainly the driver), Homa insisted playing through them rather than taking the week off to practice at home. After last year's Open, the six-time PGA Tour winner decided that he would be playing the week before each of the four major championships in lieu of taking the week off like usual. With only one major top 10 (last year's Open) in 17 starts, Homa needed to change something, and a good start in San Antonio could be a sign of things to come in Augusta.

"I think I when I'm at home [preparing for a major championship] I try to be a perfectionist, and I kind of hope that carries into the next week," said Homa. "I think this for myself might work better where I'm learning kind of more about my golf game and what shots feel good and what don't and leaning into that instead of trying to make them all exactly right."

A 39-footer on the last hole of the day? No problem for @MaxHoma . pic.twitter.com/NUkkDVZVLX — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 4, 2024

Spieth be with you

Jordan Spieth's first few months of the PGA Tour season have been pretty odd, to say the least (shocker). With everything from a disqualification to a podium finish on his résumé, Spieth arrived in Texas hoping to find a string of consistency. That didn't happen in Round 1.

The 2021 champion offset five bogeys and a double bogey with four birdies and a hole-in-one for a ho-hum 1-over 73. Spieth arrived at the par-3 16th 4 over on his round and walked off the green at 2 over thanks to his fourth career ace on the PGA Tour. He parlayed this momentum into another birdie on the short par-4 17th to end his rollercoaster day on a high note.

"I had to take some off of a 7-iron, and so I lined up to hit like a 185 shot and hit a little fade with the wind that kind of was able to ride the slope then," said Spieth. "I hit it and I picked up the tee because I did what I wanted to do. And then as it landed and started to -- everyone started to stand up, it was the people right in line with it, so I thought maybe there's a chance, and then it went in."

🚨 SPIETH ACE 🚨 @JordanSpieth makes a hole-in-one on the 199-yard par-3 16th hole @ValeroTXOpen . (Presented by @CocaCola ) pic.twitter.com/kHZKIxKiIZ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 4, 2024

2024 Texas Open updated odds, picks

Odds via Sportsline consensus

• Akshay Bhatia: 3-1
• Rory McIlroy: 7-1
• Brendon Todd: 10-1
• Max Homa: 11-1
• Corey Conners: 19-1
• Russell Henley: 22-1
• Austin Eckroat: 25-1
• CollinMorikawa: 25-1
• Denny McCarthy: 25-1

With winds expected to continue, I think there are a bunch of guys at or around even par still right in the thick of it. The most intriguing option has to be Ludvig Åberg at 40-1. Among the betting favorites entering the week, the young Swede was among the leaders in the field in strokes gained ball striking Thursday but got nothing out of his short game en route to an even-par 72. The ball striking should remain the next three days and if the putter gets going, watch out.

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Akshay Bhatia Earns Tour Card: Can He Make FedEx Cup Playoff Push?

By alana bannan | jul 27, 2023.

With his playoff win over Patrick Rodgers at last weekend’s Barracuda Championship, 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia is officially a PGA Tour card member.

Bhatia has already stacked up an impressive resume early in his career. On top of being a top junior golfer, he played in his first Tour event at 17 years old, finished in his first top-10 on Tour at the age of 18 at the Safeway Open, and then won his first Korn Ferry Tour event at 19.

His win at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay made him the third youngest player to win on this tour. He’s also not afraid to get a little dirty on the course.

While his highs have been high and the North Carolina native can finally say his hard work has paid off, the road was not always smooth for Bhatia.

A former top-ranked junior golfer, Akshay Bhatia made the decision to forgo traditional college and make the fairway his classroom.

“A lot of people are gonna hate on my decision. But in the long run, this is my college,” Bhatia had said of his choice.

No different than a typical college experience, his journey to claiming a Tour card has included challenging moments and growing pains. He did not make the cut at his first Tour appearance in 2019 and would go on to miss the cut in all six appearances the following year. COVID also made his journey difficult and revealed the lack of stability a typical college route may have brought him.

His path has been scrappy and full of hustle; focusing on mini-tours to be able to hold on to his Korn Ferry Tour card and make appearances in PGA Tour fields. It’s what he can credit his presence at his recent win for; his runner-up finish at the 2023 Puerto Rico Open back in March earned him 165 non-member FedEx Cup points, which put him over the requirement for earning Special Temporary Membership and the ability to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions for the rest of this season.

“For it to all come to fruition, play with some of the best players in the world, play some of the greatest events in the world, and to win on the PGA TOUR, to hopefully solidify myself into the FedExCup playoffs. It’s a great feeling. Because job security now I can kind of, not free wheel, but I know how to win. I know I can do it against some of the best players in the world,” Bhatia said following his playoff win on Sunday.

Akshay Bhatia is currently ranked 92nd in the FedEx Cup standings.

He withdrew from the 3M Open Monday night so he will need at least a solo fourth place finish at the Wyndham Championship next week to enter the top 70 and make a playoff appearance.

All of Bhatia’s points earned earlier in the season as a non-member and Special Temporary Member were applied to his current count except for his points accrued over the last two weeks at the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship; as they are co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.

Next. Max Homa reaches turning point in Majors. dark

While the rising star will need an impressive performance in the PGA Tour regular-season finale to make his first playoffs, Akshay Bhatia can enjoy the fruits of his labor finally paying off.

Valero Texas Open

TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)

Akshay Bhatia gets a Special Membership on PGA Tour and talks about his heart rate skyrocketing leading up to the moment

Akshay Bhatia hits a drive during the third round of the Puerto Rico Open.

Carmen Mandato

It was one of those quiet moments near the 18th green that TV viewers and fans mostly miss but are life-changing for players. Akshay Bhatia closed the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open last week with a birdie and final-round score of 65 that placed him solo second behind winner Nico Echavarria. He then walked over to his caddie, who wanted to make sure Bhatia was grasping the gravity of what he'd just accomplished, beyond earning the $414,000 paycheck that was the largest of his career.

“He's like, ‘Do you realize what just happened?’" Bhatia recalled on Tuesday. "And I said, ‘No.’ He's, like, ‘You got your card.’"

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With the runner-up finish in his fourth PGA Tour start this season, Bhatia accumulated enough non-member points to reach Special Temporary Membership—which was made official Tuesday ahead of the Valspar Championship, for which he qualified, thanks for the top-10 result in Puerto Rico. Bhatia can now ask for and receive unlimited sponsor's exemptions for the season.

For Bhatia to earn full status for 2024, he must accumulate as many of more more non-member FedEx Cjup points as the No. 125 player in the final 2023-23 FedEx Cup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List, which will be totaled up at the end of the 2023 fall portion of the season. With a current count of 230 FedEx Cup points, the tour calculated that Bhatia would fall between Nos. 91 and 92 in the standings. In the tour's new format beginning in '24, the top 70 players after the '23 playoffs earn fulltime status.

All the perks of the accomplishment began to sink in for Bhatia off the 18th green in Puerto Rico.

“It was a crazy feeling,” Bhatia said. "Just the highs of that—it was definitely top on my list right now, even with winning on the Korn Ferry Tour. … It was pretty surreal, and hugging my girlfriend, Presleigh, on 18 … that's just like an amazing moment for us and everything we've kind of gone through these last couple years.”

Bhatia, who gained notoriety at the Honda Classic last month when he had to take his shirt off twice to hit shots out of the mud during a round, talked about what his excitement was like as he made his way up the 18th hole at Grand Reserve Country Club.

“I dealt with high heart rates on the golf course and the crowds started to get slowly and slowly bigger and I would have never imagined that in Puerto Rico for myself, having 80, 90, 100 people people around watching our group. … I checked my Whoop heart rate after the round, and on my third shot on 18, my heart rate got up to 156 beats per minute, which is pretty nuts.”

This week will be a “full-circle” time, Bhatia said. A Los Angeles native who is 21, he eschewed college and turned pro at 17. He made his first-ever PGA Tour start in the 2019 Valspar as a 17-year-old amateur, missing the cut, and his return path to the tour has been difficult. Bhatia played his most events, 11, on the PGA Tour in 2020-21 and missed seven cuts. His best finish was a T-9 in the Safeway Open.

On the Korn Ferry Tour last season, Bhatia won his opening start in the Bahamas by closing with a 65. That seemingly set him up for the year, though he wouldn’t post another top-10 finish in 23 other starts and missed 13 cuts.

Bhatia is off to a strong start this year on two tours. He has two top-seven finishes in four KFT starts, and he’s made the cut in all four of his PGA Tour appearances.

His work on the PGA Tour now will be trying to post top-10s in other events to get more starts while also asking sponsors for exemptions. As a temporary member, he’s not limited to how many he can receive.

“I had no idea what adversity meant back in 2019, and I fully understand it now,” Bhatia said. “I've dealt with so many ups and downs in this game as a professional—not being able to rent rental cars, not being able to check into hotels. So, dealing with a lot of that outside stuff that I never had to deal with was a big challenge.

“Just self-belief, learn a lot, play a lot of high-level golf, it makes a big difference. This is my 23rd PGA Tour event and I'm saying that at 21 years old. … I'm very fortunate for all the opportunities that I've had. There’s nothing much more to say other than just keep learning and keep grinding.”

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Akshay Bhatia, 21, wins his first PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Akshay Bhatia birdied the closing hole in regulation, then capitalized in sudden death when Patrick Rodgers found a divot in the fairway to win his first PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Bhatia, who turned pro at 17, earned full status on tour and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had been playing under special temporary membership since his runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March.

“It's obviously been a really tough road. I've had a lot of up, a lot of down. A lot of good, a lot of bad,” Bhatia said. “But I knew I was going to get here. It was just matter of time. For it to happen this year with special temporary membership and now to get to play all these events and to get it done today was, I can’t even describe it.”

Bhatia converted a birdie from about 15 feet on the par-4 18th hole at Tahoe Mountain Club to finish with 40 points under the modified Stableford scoring system that awards five points for eagle and two for birdie while deducting a point for bogey and three for double bogey. The slender left-hander had nine points on Sunday. He made double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, then made six birdies without a bogey from there.

That was good enough to match Rodgers, who missed a birdie attempt from roughly the same distance on the 18th. Rodgers scored six points in the final round, with one birdie and two bogeys on the back nine for zero points.

In the playoff, Rodgers' tee shot on the 18th settled in a divot and he chunked his approach. His pitch was well short and he two-putted for bogey. Bhatia left his birdie putt just short and tapped in for the victory.

“I knew that if I got into a position like this, I could do it. I've done it at every level. Man, that felt uncomfortable out there,” Bhatia said. “That putt on 18 in regulation was just, man, it's a crazy feeling. I as telling my caddie, like, your brain and everything, you can feel all this adrenaline, all this shakiness. It's pretty crazy.”

Rodgers remains winless in 246 PGA Tour starts. The 31-year-old former Stanford star failed to convert a 54-hole lead for the fifth time.

“I felt like I had control of the tournament. I had a putt to win, which was nice. So, bummer result,” Rodgers said. “Kind of a crummy break there in the playoff. In the middle of the fairway to drive it in a divot. But that’s just the way it goes. I’ll come back stronger.”

Two European tour players tied for third in the co-sanctioned event. Julien Guerrier made 10 birdies on Sunday to score 20 points and finish with 37 alongside Jens Dantorp, who had 15 points in the final round.

Ryan Gerard, also a special temporary member, was fifth with 36 points. He totaled just six points over the final two rounds.

Bhatia largely struggled his first three years after bypassing college to turn pro. He won in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour at the beginning of 2022 but still fell short of earning a PGA Tour card.

Now he's eligible for some of the richest events in golf, including the PGA Championship.

“For it to all come to fruition, play with some of the best players in the world, play some of the greatest events in the world, and to win on the PGA Tour ... it's a great feeling,” Bhatia said. “Because (of) job security now I can kind of, not free wheel, but I know how to win. I know I can do it against some of the best players in the world.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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PGA Tour: Akshay Bhatia wins Barracuda Championship after playoff to earn tour card

Akshay Bhatia beat Patrick Rodgers in the event which uses the Stableford scoring system; victory earns Bhatia full PGA Tour status meaning he can play in some of the highest purse events; PGA Tour coverage continues this week with the 2023 3M Open on Thursday from 7pm

Monday 24 July 2023 07:30, UK

Akshay Bhatia birdied the closing hole in regulation, then capitalised in a playoff when Patrick Rodgers found a divot in the fairway to win his first PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Bhatia, who turned pro at 17, earned full status on the tour and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had been playing under special temporary membership since his runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March.

"It's obviously been a really tough road. I've had a lot of up, a lot of down. A lot of good, a lot of bad," Bhatia said. "But I knew I was going to get here. It was just matter of time. For it to happen this year with special temporary membership and now to get to play all these events and to get it done today was, I can't even describe it."

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Bhatia converted a birdie from about 15 feet on the par-four 18th hole at Tahoe Mountain Club in California to finish with 40 points under the modified Stableford scoring system that awards five points for eagle and two for birdie while deducting a point for bogey and three for double bogey. The left-hander had nine points on Sunday. He made double bogey on the fifth hole, then made six birdies without a bogey from there.

That was good enough to match Rodgers, who missed a birdie attempt from roughly the same distance on the 18th. Rodgers scored six points in the final round, with one birdie and two bogeys on the back nine for zero points.

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In the playoff, Rodgers' tee shot on the 18th settled in a divot and he chunked his approach. His pitch was well short and he two-putted for bogey. Bhatia left his birdie putt just short and tapped in for the victory.

"I knew that if I got into a position like this, I could do it. I've done it at every level. Man, that felt uncomfortable out there," Bhatia said. "That putt on 18 in regulation was just, man, it's a crazy feeling. I was telling my caddie, like, your brain and everything, you can feel all this adrenaline, all this shakiness. It's pretty crazy."

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Rodgers remains winless in 246 PGA Tour starts. The 31-year-old former Stanford star failed to convert a 54-hole lead for the fifth time.

"I felt like I had control of the tournament. I had a putt to win, which was nice. So, bummer result," Rodgers said. "Kind of a crummy break there in the playoff. In the middle of the fairway to drive it in a divot. But that's just the way it goes. I'll come back stronger."

Two European tour players tied for third in the co-sanctioned event. Julien Guerrier made 10 birdies on Sunday to score 20 points and finish with 37 alongside Jens Dantorp, who had 15 points in the final round.

Ryan Gerard, also a special temporary member, was fifth with 36 points. He totalled just six points over the final two rounds after leading comfortably at the halfway stage.

Bhatia largely struggled his first three years after bypassing college to turn pro. He won in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour at the beginning of 2022 but still fell short of earning a PGA Tour card.

Now he's eligible for some of the richest events in golf, including the PGA Championship.

"For it to all come to fruition, play with some of the best players in the world, play some of the greatest events in the world, and to win on the PGA Tour ... it's a great feeling," Bhatia said. "Because (of) job security now I can kind of, not freewheel, but I know how to win. I know I can do it against some of the best players in the world."

PGA Tour coverage continues this week with the 2023 3M Open on Thursday, with early coverage starting from from 7pm, followed by full coverage from 9.30pm, live on Sky Sports Golf.

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Akshay Bhatia Opens With a 63 to Lead Texas Open by 3. Rory McIlroy Is 6 Back

Akshay Bhatia has opened with a 63 to build a three-shot lead in the Valero Texas Open

Akshay Bhatia watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the first round of the Texas Open golf tournament, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Akshay Bhatia rode the rare experience of knowing a PGA Tour course with a sublime day with his irons for a 9-under 63 on Thursday, giving him a three-shot lead in the Valero Texas Open and taking a small step toward a potential trip to the Masters.

The Texas Open is the last chance for players to qualify for Augusta National by winning. The 22-year-old Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship last summer, but it was held opposite the British Open and didn't count toward a Masters invitation.

And that's thinking too far ahead for Bhatia, anyway.

“Doesn't matter to me,” Bhatia said of his lead. “I'm excited to go and sleep. It's been a long day, it's been very hot. I'm just trying to do the things that my mental coach and I have been talking about and I'm not trying to win the golf tournament today. But it's just nice having a nice day.”

Brendon Todd birdied four of his last five holes for a 66 to join Justin Lower, who played in the morning. Neither of them are in the Masters yet.

It wasn't a bad day for Rory McIlroy, fresh off a visit to swing coach Butch Harmon in Las Vegas and two days at Augusta National before his final tournament ahead of the one major keeping him from the career Grand Slam.

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He also played bogey-free, but managed only three birdies. He failed to birdie both par 5s on the back nine at the TPC San Antonio, missing a 3-footer on the 14th.

“I think it's the first round I've had without a bogey in quite a while,” McIlroy said. “My game over the last couple months has been quite volatile, so to go out there and play a solid round of golf in pretty tricky conditions, pretty happy with it.”

Jordan Spieth had another edge-of-the-seat performance. He hit his tee shot out-of-bounds on the par-5 14th and took double bogey, putting him at 4 over and in danger of missing his third straight cut for the first time since the fall of 2020.

He followed that with a hole-in-one with a 7-iron on No. 15. He went from the bunker on the 17th to 12 feet for another birdie and salvaged a 73.

“I’m playing so much better than I’ve been scoring and it doesn’t like look like it,” Spieth said. “It’s hard to explain. I’ve played way worse and had consecutive top 10s than the missed cuts that I’ve had. It’s just very bizarre.

“I got a couple nice breaks late that maybe make me feel like the game is not as hard as it’s been feeling.”

Max Homa and Cognizant Classic winner Austin Eckroat were in the group at 68.

This is Bhatia's second year on tour. He played a mixture of Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour events before locking up his card, but the Texas Open is one that he played twice before.

“This is my third time here. Not many golf courses on the tour have been my third time,” Bhatia said. “I just played really solid. It was just a good day.”

Only two of his nine birdies were outside 10 feet — both were in the 15-foot range — and he finished his round with a greenside bunker shot to tap-in range on the 18th.

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Tour rookie ‘shocked’ that win and nearly $2 million not enough for playoff spot

Akshay Bhatia earned his PGA Tour card with a win — but not a berth in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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In the aftermath of Akshay Bhatia’s breakthrough victory at the Barracuda Championship last week, the 21-year-old was euphoric.

“I’m in the playoffs now, which was a huge goal for me,” Bhatia said Sunday. “My goal is to win. Obviously, to get in the top 50 for next season. And, yeah, I think it changes a little bit of the plans. I mean, I’m just excited. I love playing golf, I love playing on the PGA Tour and it’s just a dream come true to have it.”

Bhatia’s enthusiasm for his accomplishment was obvious, and for good reason. The win was worth $684,000, the biggest check of his young career, bringing his season total to $1,913,058. But there was one hiccup: Unbeknownst to Bhatia at the time, his win is still not enough to guarantee him a berth in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

A Tour winner not making the post-season? What gives?

The answer requires a deep dive into PGA Tour regulations. Bhatia played a full season on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 and failed to earn a PGA Tour card for the following season. He did notch a Korn Ferry win , though, thereby earning enough points secure his place on the KFT for 2023.

But after finishing second at the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open in March, everything changed for Bhatia. He had earned enough points with the finish to accept Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour, which meant he could then accept unlimited sponsor invitations throughout the rest of the season. (Non-members are restricted to seven total sponsor exemptions per season.) Though this status can be lucrative, Special Temporary Members are still not eligible for the FedEx Cup Playoffs — unless they win. And that’s exactly what Bhatia did at the Barracuda.

What is a PGA Tour Special Temporary member? Explaining Akshay Bhatia’s status

One problem: Though Bhatia was now eligible for the Playoffs, he didn’t have enough points to get in. His current ranking of 92nd is well short of the 70th-or-better rank needed to qualify. How could that be, when he had not only just won but also finished T9 at the Barbasol Championship the week before? As it happens, those tournaments don’t award FedEx Cup points to non-members, so Bhatia was forced to miss out on points that would have easily elevated him into the first FedEx Cup Playoff event, the FedEx St. Jude. A bummer for Bhatia, to be sure.

“I was just, like, really shocked, because my caddie and I talked about going to play Barbasol and Barracuda, and with Special Temporary [status] obviously, you’re just trying to win within these next four events to get into the playoffs,” Bhatia said this week on SiriusXM PGA Tour radio. “That’s the whole goal.”

He added: “The fact that I finished top 10 and then I win and I’m not technically — I’m not in the playoffs and I don’t get the points, it is a little frustrating because you work so hard. It’s not easy to win a PGA Tour event.”

Why is a FedEx Cup berth so important? The series of three limited-field events have heightened meaning heading into next season. Qualifying into the top 50 opens a whole new level of opportunity for 2024, when cut-free, invitation-based tournaments with guaranteed money will be even more prevalent .

The good news? Now that Bhatia is a Tour winner, not only is his Tour member status secure through 2025, but he also has one more chance to make a run at this year’s Playoffs. He’s not in the field at this week’s 3M Open , but a solo-fourth or better finish at next week’s Wyndham Championship would punch his card to Memphis.

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Akshay Bhatia cards opening 63 to lead Valero Texas Open

Northern ireland’s rory mcilroy is tied for eighth on three under par., article bookmarked.

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Akshay Bhatia shot an opening nine-under-par 63 to take a three-shot lead at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

The American did not drop a shot as he followed four birdies on the front nine with five on the second, including four in his final five holes.

Bhatia sits ahead of Brendon Todd and Justin Lower with Max Homa among a group of four players two shots further back.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is tied for eighth on three under par after going bogey free with three birdies.

The world number two, who recently had a lesson with Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon, told PGATour.com after his round: “What I’ve been trying to do the last couple weeks is no different than what I’ve been trying to do previously; he just sort of gave me a different way to do it.

“You could tell someone five different things and like for the same feel – like to a piece of a swing, but sometimes none of them resonated, sometimes all of them, sometimes one thing.

“It’s just one of those things over the past few months that nothing was resonating with me.

“He gave me a tiny little something that I went with and, as I said, it’s felt a little better over the last two weeks and felt pretty good out there.”

A win at next week’s Masters will see McIlroy join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player , Jack Nicklaus and Woods as the only players to have won all four major championships.

Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth had a dour round of 73 salvaged by a hole-in-one on the par three 16th.

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21-year-old Akshay Bhatia wins his first PGA Tour title at Truckee's Barracuda Championship

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Akshay Bhatia birdied the closing hole in regulation, then capitalized in sudden death when Patrick Rodgers found a divot in the fairway to win his first PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Bhatia, who turned pro at 17, earned full status on tour and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had been playing under special temporary membership since his runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March.

“It's obviously been a really tough road. I've had a lot of up, a lot of down. A lot of good, a lot of bad,” Bhatia said. “But I knew I was going to get here. It was just matter of time. For it to happen this year with special temporary membership and now to get to play all these events and to get it done today was, I can’t even describe it.”

Bhatia converted a birdie  from about 15 feet on the par-4 18th hole at Tahoe Mountain Club to finish with 40 points under the modified Stableford scoring system that awards five points for eagle and two for birdie while deducting a point for bogey and three for double bogey. The slender left-hander had nine points on Sunday. He made double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, then made six birdies without a bogey from there.

That was good enough to match Rodgers, who missed a birdie attempt from roughly the same distance on the 18th. Rodgers scored six points in the final round, with one birdie and two bogeys on the back nine for zero points.

In the playoff, Rodgers' tee shot on the 18th settled in a divot and he chunked his approach. His pitch was well short and he two-putted for bogey. Bhatia left his birdie putt just short and tapped in for the victory.

“I knew that if I got into a position like this, I could do it. I've done it at every level. Man, that felt uncomfortable out there,” Bhatia said. “That putt on 18 in regulation was just, man, it's a crazy feeling. I as telling my caddie, like, your brain and everything, you can feel all this adrenaline, all this shakiness. It's pretty crazy.”

Rodgers remains winless in 246 PGA Tour starts. The 31-year-old former Stanford star failed to convert a 54-hole lead for the fifth time.

“I felt like I had control of the tournament. I had a putt to win, which was nice. So, bummer result,” Rodgers said. “Kind of a crummy break there in the playoff. In the middle of the fairway to drive it in a divot. But that’s just the way it goes. I’ll come back stronger.”

Two European tour players tied for third in the co-sanctioned event. Julien Guerrier made 10 birdies on Sunday to score 20 points and finish with 37 alongside Jens Dantorp, who had 15 points in the final round.

Ryan Gerard, also a special temporary member, was fifth with 36 points. He totaled just six points over the final two rounds.

Bhatia largely struggled his first three years after bypassing college to turn pro. He won in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour at the beginning of 2022 but still fell short of earning a PGA Tour card.

Now he's eligible for some of the richest events in golf, including the PGA Championship.

“For it to all come to fruition, play with some of the best players in the world, play some of the greatest events in the world, and to win on the PGA Tour ... it's a great feeling,” Bhatia said. “Because (of) job security now I can kind of, not free wheel, but I know how to win. I know I can do it against some of the best players in the world.”

AP golf:  https://apnews.com/hub/golf  and  https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Akshay Bhatia

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Bhatia discusses his journey on PGA Tour

Akshay Bhatia joins Golf Central to discuss the upcoming Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, adjusting to the highs and lows of the PGA Tour and more.

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Akshay Bhatia opens with a 63 to lead Texas Open by 3. Rory McIlroy is 6 back

S AN ANTONIO (AP) — Akshay Bhatia rode the rare experience of knowing a PGA Tour course with a sublime day with his irons for a 9-under 63 on Thursday, giving him a three-shot lead in the Valero Texas Open and taking a small step toward a potential trip to the Masters.

The Texas Open is the last chance for players to qualify for Augusta National by winning. The 22-year-old Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship last summer, but it was held opposite the British Open and didn't count toward a Masters invitation.

And that's thinking too far ahead for Bhatia, anyway.

“Doesn't matter to me,” Bhatia said of his lead. “I'm excited to go and sleep. It's been a long day, it's been very hot. I'm just trying to do the things that my mental coach and I have been talking about and I'm not trying to win the golf tournament today. But it's just nice having a nice day.”

Brendon Todd birdied four of his last five holes for a 66 to join Justin Lower, who played in the morning. Neither of them are in the Masters yet.

It wasn't a bad day for Rory McIlroy, fresh off a visit to swing coach Butch Harmon in Las Vegas and two days at Augusta National before his final tournament ahead of the one major keeping him from the career Grand Slam.

He also played bogey-free, but managed only three birdies. He failed to birdie both par 5s on the back nine at the TPC San Antonio, missing a 3-footer on the 14th.

“I think it's the first round I've had without a bogey in quite a while,” McIlroy said. “My game over the last couple months has been quite volatile, so to go out there and play a solid round of golf in pretty tricky conditions, pretty happy with it.”

Jordan Spieth had another edge-of-the-seat performance. He hit his tee shot out-of-bounds on the par-5 14th and took double bogey, putting him at 4 over and in danger of missing his third straight cut for the first time since the fall of 2020.

He followed that with a hole-in-one with a 7-iron on No. 15. He went from the bunker on the 17th to 12 feet for another birdie and salvaged a 73.

“I’m playing so much better than I’ve been scoring and it doesn’t like look like it,” Spieth said. “It’s hard to explain. I’ve played way worse and had consecutive top 10s than the missed cuts that I’ve had. It’s just very bizarre.

“I got a couple nice breaks late that maybe make me feel like the game is not as hard as it’s been feeling.”

Max Homa and Cognizant Classic winner Austin Eckroat were in the group at 68.

This is Bhatia's second year on tour. He played a mixture of Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour events before locking up his card, but the Texas Open is one that he played twice before.

“This is my third time here. Not many golf courses on the tour have been my third time,” Bhatia said. “I just played really solid. It was just a good day.”

Only two of his nine birdies were outside 10 feet — both were in the 15-foot range — and he finished his round with a greenside bunker shot to tap-in range on the 18th.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Sleeper Picks: Texas Children's Houston Open

Sleeper Picks

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Mackenzie Hughes (+5000) … When a guy is fresh off a T3 like he is at the Valspar Championship, he doesn’t present as a classic Sleeper the very next week. However, this bet requires a finish two spots higher. It also means that he’d be going lower than the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark and defending champion Tony Finau, all of whom were automatics for the Power Rankings. But it’s still a new week and Hughes’ experience at Memorial Park is objectively impressive. He’s 3-for-3 with a T7 (2020), a T16 (2022) and a scoring average of 69 on the difficult par 70. The big bonus is that he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting en route to both top 20s. Someone has to but that he’s done it twice on Tom Doak’s redesign with serious undulations is proof that Hughes already has cracked the code.

Taylor Moore (+900) … No Power Rankings is presented as a prediction of the final results of any tournament, but when a golfer finishes in close proximity to a top 10 after appearing in the same vicinity in the Power Rankings, it’s always checked off as a projection fulfilled. Top 10s are the objective. Because top fives can require some luck, those are bonuses. For his first-ever title defense on the PGA TOUR, Moore was No. 11 in the Power Rankings for last week’s Valspar Championship . Amid the new and exciting experience that included unprecedented distractions, he finished in a five-way tie for 12th. In what has been a solid-not-spectacular 2024, it’s easily his best finish. He ranked fourth in greens hit and eighth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. That’s now in the rearview mirror, his focus is singular (translation: Houston will feel like a lighter week) and his irons will travel to Memorial Park, which will reward momentum for this bonus.

Akshay Bhatia (+500) … Although he’s one of the fresher faces of the PGA TOUR and an exciting talent, he truly is a Sleeper for this finish if for no other reason than Memorial Park is far from the kind of exposed, tropical stage on which he’s shone time and again. However, the lefty has connected for four top 20s in 2024, so he’s been just outside the bubble frequently. That includes a T13 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a T17 at last week’s Valspar Championship where he tripped out of the gate with a 3-over 74. So, he’s coming around on exploiting how courses can elevate his phenomenal iron game. If you’re keen, he’s +250 for a Top 20 in Houston.

Martin Laird (+600) … In his heyday of a decade ago, the Scot was a force on challenging tracks that rewarded power and precision from tee to green. Now 41 years of age, he’s lost a little life off his fastball but he’s remained dangerous enough never to have lost his fully exempt status. What’s carried forward is a penchant to ride a groove, and he’s in one right now. Since the WM Phoenix Open, a transplanted hometown stop where his record is strong, he’s 4-for-4 with consecutive top 10s baked into the middle. Placed T22 in his last trip to Memorial Park during the fall of 2022 when he had sustained solid form long enough to rise for that finish. If you’re not interested in the reach, he’s a valuable +200 for a Top 40.

Tom Whitney (+333) … Although he’s a PGA TOUR rookie in his tournament debut, this is surprisingly attractive value. He’s fresh off a T33 at Valspar, another debut on a tough test where he ranked inside the top 15 in fairways hit, Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, par-5 scoring and scrambling, so he now has two top 40s in six starts this season. The other was a T13 at perennially punishing Torrey Pines. His skill set slides comfortably into a track like Memorial Park where ball-striking is key. But his secret weapon continues to be the fact that he’s 34 years of age with a military background and personal perspective that no one else can touch. When the challenge inside the ropes intensifies, he already has the kind of mettle necessary to go to work.

Odds were sourced at BetMGM.

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .