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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JANUARY 21, 2022 | The Indian Eye 32

Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia

wins The Bahamas Great exuma Classic

OUR BUREAU
New York
G olfer Akshay Bhatia has be-

the
come
third-youngest
player to win a Korn Ferry
Tour event since the Tour’s establish-
ment in 1990 when he secured a two-
stroke victory at The Bahamas Great
Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald
Bay. Bhatia, who shot a stunning bo-
gey-free 7-under 65 in the final round
on Wednesday, won the title 12 days
shy of his 20th birthday, joining Aus-
tralia’s former World No. 1 Jason
Day and Korean star Sungjae Im as
the only teenagers to win titles on the
development circuit which is the path-
way to the PGA TOUR.
Jason Day won the 2007 Legend
Financial Group Classic at 19 years, 7
months, and 26 days old, and Im was
19 years, 9 months, and 17 days old
when he won his Korn Ferry Tour de-
but at the same event.
Jason Day won the 2007 Legend
Financial Group Classic at 19 years, 7
months, and 26 days old, and Im was
19 years, 9 months, and 17 days old
when he won his Korn Ferry Tour de-
but at the same event.

Bhatia finished the event with

an aggregate score of 14-un-
der 274 (69-72-68-65), ending
ahead of Paul Haley II of the who plays from Wake Forest, North “I don’t know how I managed turn professional at 17 years. Having
Carolina, produced one of three my emotions, but I did. I felt really made his first PGA TOUR start as an
USA (74-67-67-68-276), who bogey-free scorecards in the final calm. (No.) 15 tee, we were waiting a amateur at the 2019 Valspar Champi-
finished two strokes behind. round, and one of three scores of 65 while, so I just sat and looked at the onship in March, and made his Korn
or better posted all week. ocean,” Bhatia said. “This place is re- Ferry Tour debut a month later at the
The riveting back nine, highlight- ally calm, peaceful… the aura about Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Cham-
After making birdie on 17, Bha- ed by birdies on three of the closing this place leads into why I’m so calm. pionship, Bhatia made six TOUR
tia closed out his win in style. With four holes (Nos. 15, 17, and 18), took “To play against these guys, guys starts in 2019-20, and 11 last season.
156 yards to the pin on the par 5 Bhatia to 14-under par for the tour- who have been out here forever, past Bhatia accrued enough
18th hole, he wedged his approach nament. Bhatia began the day three PGA TOUR winners and players” non-member FedExCup points last
to inside of a foot to secure the first strokes off the lead, but ended it two it’s just awesome,” Bhatia was quot- season on the PGA TOUR for a spot
victory of his career and cement his strokes ahead of runner-up finisher ed as s”ying the PGA Tour. “For me in the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
status as one of ‘he game’s young ris- Paul Haley II, who played alongside to be able to mentally and physically Although Bhatia missed two cuts
ing stars. him all afternoon and carded a bo- compete and win at one of the high- and finished T41 in the season-end-
“I reflected back on (2021) U.S. gey-free 4-under 68. est levels in golf, it’s something I’ll ing Korn Ferry Tour Championship,
Open (qualifying),” Bhatia said after Bhatia’s remarkable up-and- cherish for a while.” playing in the Finals gave him an ex-
his win. “I hit a pitching wedge to like down birdie from a sidehill lie behind Shortly after the 2019 Walker emption for the Final Stage of the
three feet, four feet, so I was just try- a greenside bunker at the par-5 14th Cup, where Bhatia became the first 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying
ing to do the same thing. For it to hit may have been the key moment of golfer still in high school to represent Tournament. A T63 finish there left
the flag and have a tap-in was awe- his round, but his field-leading 22nd the United States, he made an unorth- him without guaranteed starts for
some. Golf is crazy.” birdie of the week on the 72nd hole odox choice and passed on collegiate 2022.
Bhatia, a native of California dazzled golf fans around the world. golf opportunities, electing instead to

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