SI

Announcers Baffled by Akshay Bhatia's Aggressive Downhill Putt at BMW Championship

Tom Dierberger

Akshay Bhatia looks over his line on the 14th green during the first round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament.
Akshay Bhatia looks over his line on the 14th green during the first round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

PGA Tour golfer Akshay Bhatia risked it all Thursday with his putt on the 11th hole at the BMW Championship.

Sitting 62 feet above the hole after his tee shot hit the green on the par-3 11th, Bhatia rolled a red-hot putt downhill toward the cup with some dangerous speed. To Bhatia's luck, the golf ball hit the pin and bounced out, landing just one inch away from the hole. If that putt didn't hit the pin, it was undoubtedly going to soar off the green.

The NBC broadcast crew couldn't believe their eyes:

Sometimes in golf, being lucky is better than being good. Bhatia was both of those to begin his BMW Championship journey, the second FedEx Cup playoff event on the PGA Tour schedule.

Bhatia, the No. 28-ranked golfer in the world, was even par through 16 holes when the event was suspended at 3:35 p.m. ET due to dangerous weather conditions. He'll be six strokes behind the leader, Keegan Bradley, when the BMW Championship resumes Friday.

Published |Modified
Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Home/Golf