PGA Tour star dislocates shoulder celebrating but still goes on to win Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia celebrated too hard after his playoff win at the Valero Texas Open, popping his shoulder out of its socket during his post-match fist pump celebreation
Akshay Bhatia’s shoulder popped out to celebrate his win at the Texas Open. The 22-year-old golfer’s victory was the second of his PGA Tour career.
Defeating Denny McCarthy in a playoff, Battier won at Texas, starting the final round with a four-stroke lead and securing victory on the first hole of the playoff. However, the impressive playoff win came after Bhatia dislocated his left shoulder during a celebratory punch after birdieing the 18th hole. Despite this injury, he continued to play in the playoffs, making a 6-foot birdie to seal the victory. With this victory, Bhatia clinched the title and secured a spot in the Masters Tournament. After the win, Bhatia told reporters: It’s hard to win here.” I just stuck to my game plan. We played very well. Danny’s performance was great. It’s scary to see how hot he is. What a crazy day he made that putt on the 18th.
Regarding his shoulder injury, Bhatia said, “I threw a punch and he came out of the hole and came back.” He also said that he had been experiencing pain in his shoulder before the incident, but that he received adequate treatment and was able to overcome the pain and be able to compete in Texas.
Bhatia impressed golfers throughout the tournament, especially with his irons, posting a 9-under 63 on the first day. Fans praised his accuracy online as the round gave him a three-stroke lead and only two of his nine birdies in the first round fell outside 10 feet. .
One golf fan wrote: Looks really cool even under pressure. Congratulations.” Bhatia was also praised for his calmness, with one fan saying, “He looks happy when he plays under pressure.”
Another player reacted to the performance on social media, writing, “Akshay is a really fun young player. His bowling was superb and it was a brave shot for his 18th run. But McCarthy made a hell of a run. It’s good to see new talented young people giving it a try. Bhatia will definitely be interested in watching Augusta play. I can’t wait to go there. ”
The 2018 Youth Olympic medalist had five birdies in the final seven holes en route to victory. At the end of the tournament, he was in the lead with a score of 20 under (268), nine shots behind third place Rory McIlroy. To win, Bhatia had 25 birdies and shot 75 percent to be first on the green in regulation play. His short game was perfect, as he made all 53 of his shots from 5 feet or less.
