March 8, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Akshay Bhatia walks off his first tee shot during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Image Akshay Bhatia shot a 3-under-par 69 with a late-round eagle before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a playoff on Sunday in Orlando, Florida.
Bhatia’s par on the extra hole was enough when Daniel Berger missed a putt from about 7 1/2 feet away.
Both shot 15-under 273 in the tournament held at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
Bhatia won his third PGA Tour title, his first since the 2024 Texas Open. It was the first playoffs since 1999.
Berger, seeking his fifth Tour win and first in five years, shot 70 in the final round.
There was plenty of drama on the final hole of regulation. Berger, who hit his tee shot into the rough on the 18th hole, opted for a layup rather than trying to move the lake protecting the green. Bhatia got his second shot within 19 feet of the hole and then needed a tap-in for par. Berger sank a 13 1/2-foot putt with the ball curling into the cup to match Bhatia’s par and extend the tournament.
Berger again struggled off the tee on a playoff hole and this time never fully recovered.
Cameron Young (69) and Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg (67) tied for third place with 12 under par, and Colin Morikawa (70), who is seeking his second win in four weeks, ranked fifth with 11 under par.
Hours earlier, Berger’s lead had been reduced to one stroke at Bhatia, one of several groups to complete three rounds interrupted by weather on Sunday morning. Bhatia finished the third round with a birdie on the 18th hole.
Berger and Bhatia made the final pair for the second round in a row.
Bhatia briefly tied with an eagle 3 thanks to a 3-foot putt on the 16th hole, but Berger left the green one stroke ahead after recording a birdie.
Berger gave up the lead in the final round with a bogey on the 17th hole.
Berger avoided early trouble on the par-5 fourth hole when his tee shot fell into a stream outside the fairway, but made a birdie on the hole.
Bhatia started the back nine with three bogeys and one birdie, followed by four birdies in a row. This included a 58-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole.
Sahith Theegala recorded the best score of 66 in the final round, tying for 6th place at 10 under par with Russell Henry (68) and Lee Min-woo (70).
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler’s 73 was the worst round of the tournament. He tied for 24th place at 2 under par.
–Field level media
