Akshay Bhatia has suggested what cost him after he made a bogey on the final hole to lose the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Akshay Bhatia was tied for the lead heading into the final round in Michigan, and, unlike most in the field, the 22-year-old has experience of winning on the PGA Tour this season – so he may have been many people’s favourite to get across the line.
Bhatia had set his sights on reaching 21 under par for the tournament as he made the turn in the final round, but instead he played the back nine in one over to finish one shot behind Cameron Davis.
Of course, many will remember Bhatia’s second putt on the 18th which, had he made it, would have forced a play-off in Detroit. However, the putt fell on the low side of the hole, handing Davis his second title at the event.
Akshay Bhatia explains dramatic conclusion to Rocket Mortgage Classic
It was an agonising conclusion for Bhatia, who suggested that the pressure on the putt potentially got to him.
“I know how to close a golf tournament. I have done it before, it just wasn’t my day,” he said.
“It’s hard. You have so much slope there so you don’t want to run it five or six feet by. But a little bit of nerves, honestly. The greens get slower throughout the day here.”
Plenty of winning opportunities ahead for youngster
Bhatia seemed to be best-placed to win heading into Sunday given that he won this year, and was recently in the final group on Sunday at the Travelers Championship alongside Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler.
He also seemed confident after the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, with Bhatia insisting that he loves to feel uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, he was unable to get the job done on Sunday, but given that he is only 22 and has experienced so much already, you would imagine that he will emerge much stronger because of what happened on Sunday.
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