Akshay Bhatia Secures Final Spot in Tour Championship Amid Late Bogeys

Owing Mills (USA), Aug 18: Akshay Bhatia faced a nerve-wracking finish at the BMW Championship after incurring four bogeys in his last six holes. Despite this setback, he narrowly secured the 30th and final spot for the season-ending Tour Championship.

Bhatia, who began the event ranked 29th in the FedEx Cup standings, carded rounds of 75-69-66-72 for a two-over total, ultimately finishing tied for 26th in a 49-player field. As his place in the top 30 seemed in jeopardy, late results confirmed his entry, marking his second consecutive appearance at this prestigious finale.

The talented golfer added a memorable moment with a hole-in-one during the third round, which rewarded him with a new vehicle. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler delivered another breathtaking display, overcoming a four-shot deficit in just five holes, and orchestrating a miraculous chip-in from 82 feet on the par-3 17th. This stunning shot secured his fifth PGA TOUR victory of the year.

Scheffler closed with a 3-under 67, culminating at a remarkable 15-under 265, finishing two strokes ahead of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre. This achievement made Scheffler the first player since Tiger Woods (2006-07) to clinch at least five PGA TOUR titles in consecutive years. Over the last three years and six months, Scheffler has accumulated 18 career titles since his inaugural PGA TOUR victory in Phoenix.

MacIntyre managed to draw within a single shot of the lead as they approached the formidable 17th hole at Caves Valley. Scheffler's ball landed favorably in the rough, yet the shot remained challenging. He executed with precision, watching the ball progress 60 feet before elegantly rolling into the cup, leaving MacIntyre in disbelief. Despite making 18 birdies over the first 45 holes, MacIntyre managed only two in his last 27, ending with a score of 73.

Scheffler now leads the 30 players advancing to the TOUR Championship at East Lake, vying to become the first repeat FedExCup champion since the series’ inception in 2007. All 30 qualifiers will contend for the substantial USD 10 million first-place prize.

Rickie Fowler, on the brink of returning to East Lake, faltered by missing the green twice from the fairway on the back nine, resulting in a bogey on the 14th and a double bogey on the 15th, ultimately excluding him from the top 30.

In a twist of fortune, Bhatia, despite his late bogeys, found himself ensconced within the top 30.