Akshay Bhatia came into the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in a share of the lead with Englishman, Aaron Rai, with Bhatia fighting tooth-and-nail throughout at Detroit Golf Club.
Going out in a one-under 35, the American remained in contention and, as the 13th hole showed, Bhatia wasn't giving in... That was despite his tee shot going just 97-yards after it struck a tree!
This drive from Akshay Bhatia only went 97 yards. His first missed fairway of the day was a big miss, but he bounced back to save par and remains tied for the lead 👏 pic.twitter.com/J7imP2RbPJJune 30, 2024
As mentioned, Bhatia produced two birdies and one bogey on the front side, as pars on the 10th, 11th and 12th kept him at 18-under for the tournament and in a share of the lead with Aussie, Cam Davis.
Playing the par 4 13th, the ninth hardest hole of the day on Sunday, Bhatia set up for a fade off the tee but, on impact, the left-hander's tee shot struck a tree to the right of the fairway, with his ball coming to rest in the rough.
In total, it went 97 yards but, despite being the youthful age of just 22, Bhatia showed no emotion and managed to hoick a wood back to the fairway and inside the 45-yard mark of the flag.
Bhatia during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic
Clipping a wedge, Bhatia was left with an eight-foot putt which, importantly, he was able to convert. Not only did it keep him at 18-under for the tournament, but following a slice of bad luck for nearest opponent, Davis, at the 14th, Bhatia found himself leading with a handful of holes remaining.
