Akshay Bhatia Shines at Tour Championship; Fleetwood Claims Title

Atlanta, August 25 (PTI)

Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia wrapped up a remarkable week at the TOUR Championship at East Lake, finishing tied for 13th with a final round of 2-under 68. This performance secured him a 10-under-par overall score, earning him a prize of USD 570,000.

Bhatia, 23, who clinched the final qualifying spot by sneaking into 30th place at the season finale, proved his mettle among the elites of the game.

Meanwhile, the final day unfolded with drama as Tommy Fleetwood finally erased the tag of being the “best player without a win,” capturing his maiden PGA Tour title, along with the prestigious FedEx Cup at East Lake Golf Club.

Fleetwood sealed his first PGA Tour victory with a composed final round of 2-under 68, finishing at 18-under-par for a comfortable three-shot win over Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley.

Cantlay's challenge faltered as he began with a bogey followed by a double bogey, a setback from which he never recovered.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler started with an out-of-bounds tee shot but remained a significant threat until his tee shot on the 15th found the water. Rory McIlroy finished tied for 23rd with a round of 70.

Fleetwood, tied with Cantlay heading into the final round, maintained his poise throughout. He walked away with two prestigious trophies—the FedExCup and the 'Calamity Jane' replica putter marking his TOUR Championship triumph.

The 34-year-old Englishman’s performance was marked by crucial birdies on the second, sixth, and seventh. He overcame a bogey on the fifth and managed two back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th, ensuring a stable finish despite a bogey on the 15th. Pars on the last three holes sealed his victory.

On the other hand, Bhatia commenced his final round steadily with pars, advancing with back-to-back birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes. Although he dropped a shot on the fifth, he quickly recovered with three consecutive birdies from the sixth to the eighth, closing the front nine with a bogey and a score of 3-under.

His back nine consisted of nine pars, a double bogey on the 17th, and a closing birdie, culminating in a round of 68 to complete the tournament at 10-under.

Fleetwood's victory represents a sweet conclusion to years of near-misses. He stands as the first player in the FedEx Cup era to claim his inaugural PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship, earning a significant USD 10 million prize.

Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley, who was briefly within one shot of the lead, completed his round with a 70, finishing tied for seventh. He now faces the dilemma of whether to select himself as one of his six captain’s picks.

In recent tournaments, Fleetwood’s setbacks included a narrow one-shot defeat at the Travelers Championship, where Bradley won, and relinquishing a two-shot lead with three holes to play at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

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