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Akshay Bhatia clinched his second PGA Tour title with a win at the 2024 Valero Texas Open. The 22-year-old golfer performed consistently throughout the four rounds of the tournament and got the better of Denny McCarthy, the world number 51.
Akshay Bhatia, previously ranked 87th in the Official World Golf Rankings, surged to the 34th spot after his win at the Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. He clinched victory in the playoffs, beating Denny McCarthy.
Bhatia was at +5500 odds and a clear favorite on the final day as McCarthy was at +6600 odds to win the competition. With his victory, Bhatia earned his first Masters invite of his career. He was also the last to clinch a spot at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Course.
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The PGA Tour confirmed his ticket to the first Majors of the season with a post on X.
Bhatia's victory looked easy when he had a six-shot lead going into the final nine holes. However, McCarthy's late surge, marked by seven consecutive birdies, bridged the gap and set the stage for a thrilling finish. Bhatia secured a crucial birdie putt from 12 feet on the final hole, forcing a playoff.
Bhatia, despite suffering a shoulder injury, emerged victorious in the playoffs after a birdie on the par-5 18th hole. McCarthy's shot into the creek created a window of opportunity, and Bhatia hit his wedge to six feet, clinching the victory.
Akshay Bhatia's other perks explored after the 2024 Valero Texas Open win
Apart from an invite to the Masters, Akshay Bhatia earned several perks after winning the Valero Texas Open. Bhatia took home prize money of $1,656,000 from the purse of $9.2 million doled out to everyone who made the cut at the Valero Texas Open.
He also collected 500 FedExCup points after his win. Bhatia's previous victory at the Barracuda Championship led to certain exemptions to The Sentry, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the PGA Championship this year. However, due to provisions by the DP World Tour, he didn't receive the 300 FedExCup points reserved for the winner.
Nevertheless, Bhatia's recent win extends his membership exemption through the 2026 season and secures his spot in prestigious events like the Masters and other Signature Events for this season. He'll return to Kapalua for The Sentry and TPC Sawgrass for THE PLAYERS in 2025.
He will now head to Augusta National for the first time in his career. After the third round at the Valero Texas Open, Bhatia expressed that winning PGA Tour events is just the first step for him, saying:
"I didn't grow up playing on the PGA Tour necessarily to win just PGA Tour events, I grew up playing and dreaming of winning Majors. That's kind of my main focus for the years to come."
It'll be interesting to see if Akshay Bhatia can defy expectations and outshine seasoned contenders like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm to win the first Major of his career. Bhatia, the California native, made his mark in the 2021 US Open and had a T57 finish.
