Golf influencer with 1M YouTube subscribers fanboys over Akshay Bhatia with bold claim in latest Instagram post
Grant Horvat took to his Instagram stories to post a video of Akshay Bhatia and his putter during his final round at The Players Championship on Sunday.
Bhatia is tied for third place through 12 holes, two shots behind leader Rory McIlroy as they wait out a rain delay on the back nine.
"The long putter :) Let's go @akshaybhatia_1," the caption on Horvat's Instagram story reads.
Both Horvat and Bhatia use the same-style putter and grip. Their putters are longer than the standard putter and they put with a claw-style grip as opposed to a traditional grip.
Horvat's putter worked wonders at the Creator Classic on Wednesday at TPC Sawgrass on the eve of The Players Championship. Horvat won the tournament in a playoff against Chris "Soly" Soloman. Horvat sunk the game-winning birdie putt on the 17th green in the first playoff hole.
Akshay Bhatia aims to win first Players Championship, have another strong season
With play currently delayed at The Players Championship, Akshay Bhatia is through 12 holes in the final round. Bhatia is currently tied for third place, two shots behind leader Rory McIlroy.
The two-time PGA Tour winner is two-under par for the day, with birdies on holes one, two, four, and nine. Bhatia had a roller coaster third round, ultiminately shooting a three-over-par 75. In Saturday's windy conditions, Bhatia struggled on the back nine, as did many of the other players in the field.
In the first two rounds, Bhatia shot a five-under-par 67 and a six-under-par 66. He had entered the third round tied for the lead. He played in The Players Championship for the first time last year, missing the cut after shooting two rounds of even par.
Bhatia is off to a strong start in 2025, making the cut at six of the seven events he's played in this year. His only missed cut came last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Before this week at The Player's Championship, Bhatia's best finishes came at The Genesis Invitational and the Mexico Open. He finished tied for ninth place at The Genesis Invitational and in solo ninth place at the Mexico Open.
The 31st-ranked golfer in the world in searching for his first PGA Tour win since last year's Valero Texas Open. Both of his wins so far have come in playoffs. Last year in Texas, Bhatia defeated Denny McCarthy in a playoff and he won in a playoff at the 2023 Barracuda Championship over Patrick Rodgers.
Bhatia was ranked as high as 25 in the world last year. The 23-year-old aims to capture his third win and his first major title this year.