The Arnold Palmer Invitational

The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational delivered a finish worthy of his legacy as Akshay Bhatia mounted a sensational back-nine charge on the Sunday to snatch victory from Daniel Berger following a high-stakes playoff at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.

For much of the Sunday, Berger seemed to have the tournament in the bag. At the end of his front-nine, he held a commanding four-stroke lead over Bhatia, but Bay Hill was proving too much to tame, and he dropped shots on the 13^th and 17^th holes, opening up the door for his compatriot to swoop in on him.

Akshay Bhatia went on a charge and secured four consecutive birdies starting on the 10^th hole. He hit an incredible approach shot on the par-5 16^th hole and he would go on to hole his 5-foot eagle putt. Both Bhatia and Berger finished on 15-under-par, igniting a sudden-death playoff.

The duo took to the 18^th tee where the pressure proved too much for Berger. He found the green but a massive 100-foot putt left him with an eight-footer for par, which resulted in a bogey. Bhatia was much more calm and clinical, making a two-putt par to best Berger, and claim his third career PGA Tour title.

Eagerly accepting his victory, Bhatia was clearly thrilled with his final day at Bay Hill. “Everyone knows when you show up to Bay Hill it’s going to be a test and to play one of the hardest golf courses. To succeed is really cool, and I can’t thank the tournament enough.”

Berger missed out, but he wasn’t defeated by the loss “I’m proud of myself. Obviously it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but at the start of the week, if you told me I would have a chance on the 18^th hole to win Bay Hill, I would be ecstatic with that.” A silver lining for the 32-year-old being that his runner-up finish secured him a spot for the 154^th Open at Royal Birkdale this July.

We always love this stretch of the year, getting to see the pros take on the likes of Bay Hill, and we’ve got The Players Championship taking place this weekend. Who do you think will win at TPC Sawgrass this year? If you need us for anything golf-related or you’d like to stop by for a chat, you can always find us in the pro shop.