Golfer Akshay Bhatia likes to do it the hard way. He has won three PGA titles and all three required playoffs. His latest victory came at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida, where he defeated Daniel Berger in the first extra hole. Bhatia, 24, had fallen behind by five shots with nine holes to play and had to make four birdies and an eagle to force the playoff at 15-under. It was his biggest win on the tour, giving him a $4 million check and 700 FedExCup points, which propelled him to a Top 20 world ranking.
Bhatia, a California native who played his first PGA Tour event in 2019 when he was just 17, dedicated his win to his 5-year-old niece Mia, who passed away in December 2025 from a rare, genetic disorder. A rainbow on the 18th hole reminded him of her. “I had my niece definitely watching over me,” he said.
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge. [Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]