Akshay Bhatia bagged a runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open, good for a runner-up finish, a career-best result for him on the big stage, good enough to earn Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR for the remainder of the season.
Bhatia traded 26 birdies with bogeys and a double this week a Grand Reserve Golf Club. That left him three shots clear of the third-place finishers but two shots behind the winner, Nico Echavarria. An emotional Bhatia talked about what this means to him after the round, “My goal this whole year was to finish No. 1 on the Korn Ferry Tour Money List, play that way, get my card that way. But, you know, just a different path.” This doesn’t guarantee him any status for 2024 but will allow him unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season. That is a big bonus, especially this early, with so many events still remaining on the 2022-23 schedule.