PGA Tour Brunch | Wrap from Arnie
Recap | PGA Tour Brunch on '26 Bay Hill and Puerto Rico Open
By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
ORLANDO - Akshay Bhatia (P1/-15) earned his third PGA TOUR title in his 102nd start at the age of 24 years, 1 month, 8 days after being 10-under par with nine holes remaining in final round, five strokes back from then-leader Daniel Berger.
Bhatia played the back nine in 5-under (31), including four straight birdies on Nos. 10-13 and an eagle on the par-5 16th. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (10.605) and Strokes Gained: Around the Green (5.664). He won in his second start in the Arnold Palmer Invitational (MC/2025, Won/2026).
Daniel Berger (P2/-15) lost in bid to become the first wire-to-wire winner at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard since Jason Day in 2016. Berger led after each of the first three rounds: Round One (by three), Round Two (by five), Round Three (by one).
The Playoff:
Was eighth playoff in tournament history (since 1966)
Seventh playoff at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge (since 1979)
First playoff in the event since 1999 (Tim Herron defeated Tom Lehman)
Second playoff of the 2026 season (WM Phoenix Open: Chris Gotterup def. Hideki Matsuyama)
Updated playoff records:
Daniel Berger: 1-3
Akshay Bhatia: 3-0
Arnold Palmer Invitational | Final Leaderboard
P1 Akshay Bhatia* 70 66 68 69 273 (-15)
P2 Daniel Berger 63 68 72 70 273 (-15)
T3 Ludvig Åberg 66 71 72 67 276 (-12)
T3 Cameron Young 67 73 67 69 276 (-12)
5 Collin Morikawa 66 71 70 70 277 (-11)
*def. Daniel Berger with a par-4 on the first playoff hole (No. 18)
Final Leaderboard: (link)
Puerto Rico Open | Final Leaderboard
1 Ricky Castillo 68 68 68 67 271 (-17)
2 Chandler Blanchet 64 67 74 67 272 (-16)
3 Blades Brown 69 67 69 69 274 (-14)
4 Davis Thompson 72 69 65 69 275 (-13)
Final Leaderboard: (link)
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What They’re Saying
Berger’s Amazing Week Ends in Playoff Loss (Golf Week)
Bhatia Chases Down Title at Arnold Palmer (PGATourCom)
Castillo Wins in Puerto Rico (ESPN)
CBS Sports HQ/Golf (CBSSports)
Sporting Goods and Golf Industry News
Akshay’s Winner’s Golf Bag (Golf Week)
PGA Tour’s Purse from Bay Hill (PGATourCom)
State of the TOUR Address (Golf Week)
Top College Golfers (Golf Week)
On This Day in Golf History
March 9, 1964 - Gary Player won a playoff for the first time in his career, a three-way 18-hole playoff with Arnold Palmer and Miller Barber to win the Pensacola Open in Florida. Player was previously 0-7 in playoffs in his career..- Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
This Week
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