21-year-old Akshay Bhatia wins maiden PGA Tour Title

Akshay Bhatia created history on Sunday after winning the Barracuda Championship, his maiden PGA tour title, at the Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, Calif.

The 25th edition of the Championship went down to the wire as the winner was decided through a sudden-death playoff. The 31-year-old Patrick Rodgers and 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia replayed in the par-4 18th, where Rodgers lost the plot when his drive landed in a divot. From there, he had to take two more shots and missed a long par putt. Bhatia, on the other hand, had a routine par to clinch the title.

At the end of the 16th hole, Bhatia was trailing Rodgers by a couple of points in the Stableford scoring system. Bhatia then pulled off another birdie to tie at 40 points, before Rodgers could make his final shot.

Rodgers, who made his 243rd tour start as a pro, had a chance of winning his maiden title outright. The 31-year-old had a birdie putt, but he missed it completely to finish with plus-6, and the sudden death play-offs called to decide the winner.

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How much did Akshay Bhatia earn after winning Barracuda Championship?

Akshay Bhatia was in eight-grade when he wanted to take up Golf. He turned pro once he finished high school, at the age of 17. His first three years on tour were difficult. Bhatia's first victory came in 2022 when he won the Korn Ferry Tour. However, he could not earn a PGA Tour card. The 21-year-old finished second in this year's Puerto Rico Open to earn a special Temporary Membership to feature in this Open.

The Barracuda Championship was a memorable one for Bhatia. This was his maiden PGA Tour title, and winning here has helped him earn full status on tour. Apart from that, he also earns a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

After making history at the Barracuda Championship, Akshay Bhatia ends with $684,000. Patrick Rodgers, who finished second, will earn $414,200 as prize money. Rodgers, who is a PGA Tour member, also earned 165 FedEx Cup points.