Akshay Bhatia Claims 3rd PGA Tour Title Following Comeback Victory at 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Akshay Bhatia came back from a 5-shot deficit on Sunday and defeated Daniel Berger in the playoff round to claim the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Akshay Bhatia Claims 3rd PGA Tour Title Following Comeback Victory at 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Akshay Bhatia (Image via Golf Monthly)

On Sunday, Akshay Bhatia captured the biggest win of his PGA Tour career so far. He would complete an incredible comeback at the Bay Hill Club to claim the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The American golfer had been in contention all week and was chasing down his compatriot, Daniel Berger, for the title. At one stage, he fell 5 shots behind his opponent as he failed to make a 30-inch par putt.

He then took charge on the back nine. 4 straight birdies on holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 brought him right back into the mix.

After a par on the 15th hole, the eagle landed for him on the 16th hole. He eventually finished the back nine with a score of 31.

A par putt from Berger on the final hole saw the two of them finish with a 15-under par score and go into a playoff round. This was the first playoff round in this event since 1999.

Bhatia kept his cool in the playoff round and easily drained his putt from close range to pick up his 3rd PGA Tour title.

Coincidentally, all three of his PGA Tour wins have come in the playoffs. In 2023, he defeated Patrick Rodgers at the Barracuda Championship with a par on the first extra hole.

A year later, he took down Denny McCarthy in the Valero Texas Open with a birdie on the first extra hole. He is now 3-0 in the playoffs.

Earlier this year, there had been reports linking him with a move to LIV Golf. It was later reported that he turned down a huge offer to join Phil Mickelson‘s HyFlyers GC team.

He would end up joining Tiger Woods‘ TGL team, Jupiter Links GC, as an alternate member. Since then, he has competed on the tech-fused league and helped his side qualify for the playoffs.

Akshay Bhatia dedicates Arnold Palmer Invitational win to late niece

Almost 23 months after his last win, Akshay Bhatia found himself in the winners’ circle once again on Sunday. He took home the Arnold Palmer Invitational title with a playoff victory over Daniel Berger. The 24-year-old would later dedicate this win to his late niece, who tragically passed away following a battle with a rare disease.

Akshay Bhatia
Akshay Bhatia (Image via PGA Tour)

While speaking with the media in the interview room after his win, Bhatia opened up about the emotional story of his niece’s demise on his wedding day in December.

I had my niece definitely watching over me, who passed away in December. And I saw, when I saw that rainbow on 18, it reminded me of her. Her name is Mia. She was diagnosed with a pretty rare disease. And, you know, she was a fighter for a long time. … I told my sister, you know, I’ve been thinking about her for a long time after she passed, and dedicated this win for her.

Akshay Bhatia told the reporters

Following this big win, Bhatia is expected to make a massive leap in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). With the Masters Tournament around the corner, this triumph will give him some huge momentum.

How much money did Akshay Bhatia earn from winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational?

Akshay Bhatia got his hands on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday as he came back from 5 strokes to win the tournament. How much money did he earn though?

Akshay Bhatia
Akshay Bhatia (Image via Golf)

With the Arnold Palmer Invitational being a signature event, there was a huge purse of $20 million. Bhatia took home the biggest share from this at $4 million.

Daniel Berger, who missed 18 months of action after the 2022 U.S. Open, had to settle for a runner-up finish. For his performances, he got a consolation prize of $2.2 million.

The golfers will now turn their attention towards The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass this week. This event has the biggest purse among PGA Tour events at $25 million. Who will come out on top in that one, remains to be seen.

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