Akshay Bhatia’s eye-popping shoulder injury didn’t derail him winning the Valero Texas Open. But now, he admits, his team will be getting to work ahead of the Masters
Bizarre injuries can dominate Masters week. Tony Finau once famously dislocated his ankle after an ace in the Par-3 contest. And now the last entrant into this year’s field, Akshay Bhatia, admits his injured shoulder is going to be a “work in progress”.
Bhatia popped the joint when fist-pumping the birdie that tied Denny McCarthy during the final hole in regulation at the Texas Open. Adrenaline got him through the playoff, and onto a hastily arranged plane to Augusta National.
Today, though, it’s something of a different story.
“The shoulder – it’s going to be a work in progress, for sure,” he said. “I’ve had it happen two, three times. I had a full disc location playing pickleball a couple years ago, and it kind of subluxed in Bermuda in 2021. I played through that week. I think I finished 15th or 16th.
“So it’s nothing new to me. It’s a weird, weird, experience because I had so much adrenaline so I had no pain in that playoff.
“But it’s definitely something we’re going to have to work towards, and I have a lot of trust in my team that we can tee it up on Thursday.”
Akshay Bhatia: ‘I’m hoping this can inspire a lot of kids’
Bhatia’s appearance is history-making for the Masters as he becomes the first Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist to play in the tournament.
“I remember they were hosting us in a hotel, all the participants,” he remembered of the experience in 2014. “I was in an elevator, John Daly walks in, and I’m like this guy’s got a Diet Coke, hood on. And I realized it was John Daly, so it was really cool to kind of see him in the flesh for once.
“Just driving up Magnolia Lane with all the kids – met a lot of new friends. I remember we were in the hotel, and we got one of the Masters cups from the Tournament, and we all grabbed our putters and just were putting on the carpet in the hotel and just having a bunch of fun.
“Then I remember coming out watching the practice rounds on Tuesday. We were sitting on Hole 4 on the grandstands and it was just so surreal. I remember how bad I wanted to be out there and not just watch.
“Now being here and being the first Drive, Chip & Putt participant in the Masters is really cool. So I’m hoping this can inspire a lot of kids that are having the opportunity to play.”
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