Bhatia Eyes Strong Finish in BMW Championship, Aims for Tour Spot

Owings Mills (Maryland), Aug 13 (PTI) – Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia is emerging as a significant contender as the FedEx Cup Playoffs progress to Caves Valley for the BMW Championship.

The tournament, initially expected to field the Top 50 players, sees only 49 competitors due to Sepp Straka's withdrawal for personal reasons. Bhatia made waves at the St. Jude Championship, carding a career-best 8-under-62 in the opening round and sharing the lead before ultimately securing a Tied-sixth finish. This impressive performance has assured him a spot in the USD 20 million Signature Events on the next season's schedule.

With his T-3 finish at this year’s Players Championship and two additional Top-10 finishes, Bhatia remains a strong contender. As he approaches the BMW Championship, he ranks 29th with 1,276 points, just inside the cutline, and slightly ahead of competitor Lucas Glover, who is in 30th place. For Bhatia, retaining or improving his position is crucial, as only the Top-30 players advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake.

A two-time PGA Tour winner, Bhatia aims for his second consecutive appearance at the Tour Championship.

The BMW Championship, the second of three playoff events, boasts a substantial USD 20 million purse, with the winner earning USD 3.6 million and 2,000 FedEx Cup points.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are set to play together in the opening round.