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Akshay Bhatia delivered one of the most memorable moments of the season on Saturday at the BMW Championship as he hit his first PGA Tour hole-in-one in spectacular fashion. The 23-year-old rising star sent a 5-iron soaring on the par-3 17th.
The shot landed just short of the hole before rolling in for an ace that electrified the crowd. It secured Bhatia a new BMW iX70 and landed him into the projected Top 30 of the FedExCup standings as he continues to battle for a spot in the Tour Championship.
“My caddie was pointing at the car and I’m like, don’t even know what to do,” Bhatia said. “I couldn’t even feel my body,” he said, speaking about the shot, per Baltimore Banner.
However, the delight was not only down to the prize on offer.
“I’ve been close for a long, long time on Tour. Quail Hollow, I hit the flag on 17. Mexico this year, I hit it to like an inch. It’s always been so, so close,” he said.
Already buoyed by a birdie at No. 16, Bhatia stepped up to 17 with confidence, firing an aggressive approach from 227 yards. While Bhatia didn’t see the ball fall into the cup, his caddie John Limanti’s leaping celebration and gestures toward the prize car quickly told him everything he needed to know.
The ace also capped a remarkable day that included a hole-out eagle from 92 yards on the par-4 7th as well. Entering the day, Bhatia was tied for 37th in the BMW Championship field and hovering outside the Top 30 in the FedExCup standings, sitting in a precarious 29th spot.
The two spectacular hole-outs in one round added to what has already been a huge year for the young golfer.
