MIAMI - Akshay Bhatia produced a dazzling charge down the stretch to reel in Daniel Berger before snatching victory in a playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida on Sunday.
A gripping final-day duel at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando ended with Bhatia pocketing the third PGA Tour title of his career – all via playoffs -- on the first sudden-death hole.
Bhatia finished with a closing three-under-par 69, to finish tied on 15 under alongside Berger, who shot a final-round two-under-par 70 for an aggregate 273.
The 24-year-old Bhatia had forced the playoff with an electrifying birdie spree over the back nine after trailing Berger by four shots at the turn.
Bhatia had drifted off the pace with a bogey five on the par-four ninth, but responded to that setback with a brilliant run of four straight birdies to slice into Berger's lead.
The highlight of that charge was a superb 57-foot birdie putt on the 11th, which he followed with birdies on the 12th and 13th.
Berger's lead shrank to one shot after a bogey on the 13th, but he increased his lead to two strokes with three holes to play after Bhatia bogeyed the 15th.
Once again though Bhatia conjured a response, this time with an eagle three on the par-five 16th, when he drilled his second shot to just under four feet for a simple tap in.
Bhatia said his bogey on the ninth had been the catalyst for his charge after the turn.
"I missed that putt on nine, that was just a lack of focus. And then I just played with some anger for those couple holes," he said.
"The putt on 11 was a huge bonus for me. That really switched my momentum.
"Daniel played amazing. This game is so crazy, it's been crazy for these last couple weeks ... you just never know what can happen in this game," he added.