The 2023 Honda classic is in session. The audience has accustomed to seeing the PGA Tour pros remove their socks and shoes at times to enter the wet marshes. However, on Saturday, nobody expected Akshay Bhatia to pull a bold move on the course. The golfer is making headlines for this very action that he did not once, but twice.
Although people appreciate his boldness, they are also interested to know how the PGA Tour will respond to this.
What would be the consequence of Akshay Bhatia’s bold move?
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On Friday, Akshay managed to finish with an impressive 5-under 65. However, his performance was less consistent during Saturday’s round. He encountered trouble on the 6th and 15th holes, where his ball landed on the edge of water hazards at PGA National.
The PGA Tour pro is going to receive a very strict scolding from the Tour for his next move, just like Joel Dahmen did during the Phoenix Open.
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To play such shots, many PGA Tour players opt to remove their golf shoes and get their feet wet, accepting a light mud splatter to the face as a small price to pay for avoiding a penalty shot. But Bhatia took a different approach on Saturday.
He went a step further and chose to remove not only his shoes but also his shirt and hat to play both shots.
Bhatia’s exceptional escape
The 21-year-old’s initial encounter with the muddy ponds at PGA National was a resounding success. He executed a chip shot from the water’s edge and managed to complete the 469-yard 6th hole with an up-and-down for par.
However, Bhatia’s luck turned during PGA National’s challenging Bear Trap stretch. While attempting a long iron shot on the 17th hole, he overshot the green. Bhatia then found himself stripping down once again to chip out of the swamp, but this time, things didn’t go as smoothly.
He did it again?!?@AkshayBhatia_1 might need another change of clothes @TheHondaClassic 👕 pic.twitter.com/Ktk5nYPkAc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 25, 2023
In fact, at one point, he nearly sank knee-deep into the mud while struggling to achieve a double bogey on the difficult par-3.
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Despite the difficulties he encountered, Bhatia remained steadfast in his commitment to the task at hand. Although his day at PGA National was rough, he can take solace in the fact that he gave it his all.