Akshay Bhatia is enjoying a great season, highlighted by his recent performance at the 2024 Valero Texas Open. The American professional golfer delivered an outstanding round on Saturday, April 6th, shooting a 4-under 68 to end the day at the top of the leaderboard.
Bhatia’s first and second rounds were also commendable as he shot 63 and 70 at the TPC San Antonio. He is currently leading the event with a four-stroke margin. Should he sustain his current performance, he won’t just secure his second PGA Tour victory, but will also receive an invitation to play his first Masters tournament, set to begin on April 11th.
Akshay Bhatia also admitted how he is excited to be a part of the Masters tournament. He even mentioned that it is his dream of not just playing in the majors but also winning them.
“Just, you know, if I win, that’s great. I mean, it gets me closer to my goal. Yeah, it doesn’t mean the world to me. 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.”
⛳️ #EYE ON AUGUSTA — Taking a 4 stroke lead into the final round at The Valero, Akshay Bhatia says he has bigger goals in mind.
“Just, you know, if I win, that’s great. I mean, it gets me closer to my goal. Yeah, it doesn’t mean the world to me. I didn’t grow up playing on… pic.twitter.com/VehARSWEns
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 7, 2024
Given the exceptional performance of the 2023 Barracuda Championship winner across his first three rounds, he is well-positioned to outplay his competitors in the final round. This will also put Akshay Bhatia in a promising position to potentially compete for the second time in a major tournament.
When Akshay Bhatia Qualified For His First major Tournament But Couldn’t Shine
Akshay Bhatia, who turned professional in 2019, has never competed in three of the major tournaments—the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Open. However, he had a single opportunity to participate in a major, which came in 2021 when he qualified to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Bhatia struggled throughout the four days of the event, failing to achieve any under-par scores. Instead, he posted rounds of 73, 73, 73, and 75, resulting in a total score of 10 over par. This placed him in a tie for 57th position alongside Stewart Cink, Charley Hoffman, Taylor Montgomery, and Jhonattan Vegas.
Nonetheless, the outcome of Akshay Bhatia’s performance today will ultimately decide his eligibility to participate in the Masters. Furthermore, with his sights set on winning the tournament, it will be intriguing to keep an eye on his performance at the Augusta National Golf Course.
