23-year-old golfer Akshay Bhatia made national headlines on Saturday. He went on to make the world’s most heroic hole-in-one that 17th hole at the BMW Championship has ever seen. His exceptional skill leapt out at us here in this accomplishment. In reward for all of this, he received the opulent BMW iX M70, which dutifully parked next to the tee. Bhatia’s ace came on a challenging 227-yard par-3 hole, characterized by an elevated tee and water hazards flanking the green.
During the third round of the championship, Bhatia shot a blistering 66. This excellent performance increased his chances, coming back from a very rocky start. He struggled from the tee during the opening round on Thursday, carding a 3-over 75. That placed him 13 shots back of the leader. His play on Saturday was enough to have him join the ranks of even par for the tournament, after his hole-in-one.
Bhatia opened his round with a bang, holing out a sand wedge from 93 yards for an eagle on the par-4 seventh hole. He then immediately backed that up with an amazing ace. Those crafty strokes were virtuoso masterpieces. Not only did they pad his bank account in the process, but they greatly boosted his odds of qualifying for the Tour Championship next week. Bhatia entered the BMW Championship ranked 29th in the FedEx Cup standings, with only the top 30 advancing to the prestigious event.
Bhatia’s success has gone even further to help a charitable cause. For his horrible hole-in-one, BMW will contribute $125,000 to the Evans Scholars Foundation, which manages a scholarship program for caddies.
When we asked him what he thought about winning a BMW, Bhatia had perhaps the most interesting answer.
“I don’t really necessarily need a new car. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got,” – Akshay Bhatia
He noted his willingness to explore alternatives to the vehicle, saying that
“I think either I’ll give it to my caddie or figure something out to where I can donate it to charity or something.” – Akshay Bhatia
Bhatia’s exciting day at the BMW Championship not only highlighted his golfing abilities but reflected his character off the course. He’s hungry to move up the FedEx Cup leaderboard. His fans and professional golfers alike will follow with great interest as he takes on the next dramatic stage, the prestigious Tour Championship.
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