Akshay Bhatia finds himself atop a PGA Tour leaderboard for the second consecutive week. This time, that involved him finding his golf ball at the bottom of a drain.
The young star found himself in a bizarre situation during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic when he hit a tee shot down the left side of the fairway of the par-5 17th hole at Detroit Golf Club – only to discover it had disappeared down a hole. Bhatia then called in a rules official.
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“Fairly certain that’s a Callaway at the bottom,” Bhatia said during PGA Tour Live coverage.
Fortunately for the 22-year-old, the rules official agreed and he got a free drop. Have a look at the weird scene:
You don't see this everyday 😂
@AkshayBhatia_1's ball went missing in a drain @RocketClassic! pic.twitter.com/vZlzuABJvy— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 28, 2024
Bhatia, who shot an opening 64 to take the lead, wound up making par on the hole as he looks for a third career PGA Tour victory. Last week he played in the final group of the Travelers Championship before finishing T-5.
Can't say I've seen this before. Akshay Bhatia's tee shot on the par-5 17th ended up down a drain in the middle fairway. Identified his golf ball through the drain and got free relief. pic.twitter.com/ejBXqVUarA
— Patrick McDonald (@pmcdonaldCBS) June 28, 2024
Kind of crazy that a golf course would have holes large enough to swallow golf balls like that – especially in the fairway. Anyway, it’s a good thing Bhatia was able to identify his ball, or he would have had to treat it like a lost ball.
