Akshay Bhatia defeated a resurgent Denny McCarthy in a play-off to clinch the Texas Open title and secure the final spot in the upcoming Masters Tournament.
The 22-year-old American looked like he would cruise to victory after he found himself with a six-shot advantage as he reached the turn, however an inspired Denny McCarthy birdied eight of his last nine holes to put pressure on Bhatia and go level with him on 20 under.
But Bhatia managed to hold his nerve on the first play-off hole by sinking a birdie to secure his second career triumph on the PGA TOUR and seal a place at the prestigious Masters.
“It was just incredible to be able to be in this position,” Bhatia said. “My mum’s birthday was on 1 April, and her wish was [for me] to get into the Masters. So I hope I make her proud.”
As well as facing pressue from McCarthy, Bhatia suffered an injury scare after he injured his shoulder whilst celebrating an important putt. He did receive some treatment and was able to continue and earn his first victory the PGA TOUR since the 2023 Barracuda Championship.
World no. 2 Rory McIlroy, who will look to win his first ever Masters Tournament, produced encouraging signs of form to finish in third on 11 under after carding a six-under 66.
“It was very solid. It was a second bogey-free round of the week, which is really pleasing compared to what it has been like. It was good to get a round like that under the belt heading into next week.
“I definitely feel like I’m in a better place than I was a few weeks ago. Through the Florida swing there was just a lot of volatility in my game – some good, some bad, quite a few big numbers.
“I’m always going to be able to hit good shots, it’s just how bad the bad ones are. This week the bad ones were still in play. I was able to scramble well enough when I did hit a few poor ones.
“To me next week is all about discipline, about staying in control of yourself and in control of what you can control. If I can do that well, then the rest will follow.”