For 70-and-a-half holes, it looked as though Daniel Berger was going to end a near six-year wait for a PGA Tour victory, but it was Akshay Bhatia who finished the stronger and then held his nerve in a playoff to claim the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Berger, who hit the front early on Thursday and was on course to go wire-to-wire, had extended his lead to five strokes over his playing partner as the final pair made the turn, and would’ve felt that a level-par back nine would be enough to secure a return to Augusta National along with the Open Championship invitation that he was also on course to claim.
But the 24-year-old Californian had other ideas, and a pin-point approach to the 10th sparked a revival and he reeled off four consecutive birdies to reignite his challenge, but still trailed by two as they stood on the tee of the par-5 16th.
Both players found the fairway, but Bhatia was first to play and he piled on the pressure by sticking his 190-yard approach to three feet. Berger’s response was impressive, but from 20 feet, he could only two-putt and Bhatia rolled home the eagle putt to halve the deficit.
And a hole later he was tied after Berger went slightly long on the par-3 17th and missed a seven-footer back for par.
It was advantage Bhatia on 18 as he found the fairway and Berger left himself a difficult decision from the right rough. The Floridian opted to lay up and attempt to get up-and-down from 67 yards, while Bhatia – a southpaw – attempted to rope a draw to the back-right flag.
It overdrew, and he watched anxiously, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as it found dry land with inches to spare. Berger’s decision to lay up proved to be the right one as he wedged to 13 feet and holed the putt after Bhatia had chipped close and it meant the tournament’s first playoff since 1999.
Again, Bhatia found the fairway but this time Berger missed left and managed to muscle his approach to the front edge of the green where he faced a mammoth 107-foot putt. This time, Bhatia’s approach was never troubling the water, but he faced a 27-foot, downhill slider while Berger came up seven feet short from downtown.
Bhatia’s pace-control was good, but he couldn’t quite find the line and ran three feet past, but this time, Berger’s par putt stayed low and Bhatia held his nerve to claim his third PGA Tour victory and the biggest of his career to date.
“If he was up there watching, he’s probably pretty proud of how that finished,” said Bhatia, wearing the red cardigan that goes to the winner of Palmer’s tournament.
“Play bold — I think that was a big thing everyone knows of Mr. Palmer,” he said. “I could feel that energy and buzz. It was awesome. I’m very fortunate to win this tournament.”
Berger, who missed 18 months with a back injury after the 2022 U.S. Open and suffered a broken finger last August, was crestfallen but was proud of his attempt to become the first wire-to-wire winner at Bay Hill in 10 years.
“It’s tough to win. It’s tough to battle,” he said. “But I feel like I did a good job, and a shot here or there was the difference.”
The consolation prize for Berger – along with the $2.2 million runner-up prize – was an Open Championship exemption as the highest non-exempt finisher, while Bhatia earned $4 million and will be among the tournament favourites at Augusta National in four week’s time.
Ludvig Aberg and Cameron Young shared third place on -12, three shots back, while last year’s runner-up, Collin Morikawa, rounded out the top five a shot further adrift.
World number one Scottie Scheffler finished in a tie for 24th – his lowest PGA Tour finish in over a year – after double bogeying the 18th for the second consecutive day.
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