Smylie Kaufman has shared what really impressed him about Akshay Bhatia’s final round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after the American narrowly missed out on his third PGA Tour victory.
The lefty missed a short putt on the 72nd hole to hand Cameron Davis his second career win. Bhatia finished in a four-way tie for second alongside Min Woo Lee, Aaron Rai and Davis Thompson.
Despite falling short after carding a disappointing level par round on Sunday, Kaufman was pleased with something he saw from Bhatia in Michigan.
Smylie Kaufman praises Akshay Bhatia’s bounce-back mentality
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Speaking on the latest edition of the Smylie Show, Kaufman was impressed with Bhatia’s bounce-back birdie on the fourth hole after dropping a shot on the third.
“What impressed me about him today was what he did on the fourth hole because, on the third hole today, he hit a drive right down the middle of the fairway,” Kaufman said.
“It’s a pitch green, back to front, pretty much like all the greens are at that golf course. He has only 92 yards to a left flag and misses the green left. He doesn’t even get on the green [with his chip shot] and has to chip it again and make a bogey.”
Kaufman added: “He was in a position to push Aaron Rai right from the get-go. He makes a dumb bogey there that didn’t make any sense.
“He then goes to the par five, back into the breeze, a three-shot hole that day. The ball ends up in a divot in his third shot, ends up at 30 feet, and hoops it for Birdie. That’s the kind of bounce back and confidence you love to see.”
Akshay Bhatia still enjoying superb season despite Rocket Mortgage Classic heartache
Bhatia’s near-miss at the Rocket Mortgage Classic comes after he ran close at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands last week.
The two-time PGA Tour event winner currently sits 11th in the FedEx Cup standings and is well-placed heading into the final stretch of the season.
Coming close in Detroit will only benefit Bhatia in the long term. It’s important to remember he’s only 22 and is still far from his peak years.
Considering the success he’s already enjoyed at such a tender age, further PGA Tour wins feel like a formality over the coming years.
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