SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Saturday marked the 10-year anniversary of Akshay Bhatia’s appearance in the Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Augusta National Golf Club, as the California native finished sixth in the 12-13 age bracket during the 2014 event.
A decade and a day later, he’ll be hoping to clinch another trip back to the storied Georgia golf course.
The lanky lefty made very few mistakes again during Saturday’s action at the Valero Texas Open, posting a 68 en route to a four-stroke lead after three rounds. Although he has a PGA Tour victory at the 2023 Barracuda Championship, Bhatia will sleep on Saturday night with his first 54-hole PGA Tour lead. And if he holds on to win, he’ll be the first participant in the history of the Drive, Chip & Putt competition to play in the Masters.
Bhatia’s battle at the top is one of our five things to know after the third round of play in South Texas:
