The attention was already on Akshay Bhatia at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, as he is leading the charge after the first round. Bhatia finished his first round with a total of 64 11-under-par. However, even before the conclusion of the second round, the buzz has surrounded the golfer yet again. So why’s that, did he make an incredible shot? Interestingly, that’s not what happened; the answer is quite humorous yet concerning.

While teeing off in the second round at the Detroit Golf Club, Akshay Bhatia made a shot that sent the ball a significant distance. Guess what happened next? The ball rolled into a drain and disappeared on the 17th hole. Soon after the incident, one official and Bhatia went near the drain and tried to find the ball, but were unable to do so. @PGATOUR shared this moment on X, captioning it as “You don’t see this every day.” 

In the video, Akshay Bhatia tried to look in the drain and said “Fairly certain that’s a Callaway at the bottom” to the rules official who was with him. However, the official suggested, “We don’t have to get it.” After a conversation, they decided to use that drain as the new point of relief for him. 

Akshay Bhatia has achieved two PGA Tour victories to date. Coming to the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he aims to secure a third title to create a lasting impression. While uncertain about the outcome, this unfortunate incident during the tournament may remain in Bhatia’s mind. Although the PGA Tour shared this incident in a humorous way, many fans didn’t share the same sentiment and now they have directed their criticism toward the Detroit Golf Club. Interestingly something similar happened during the PGA Championship as well. 

What do fans have to say about this bizarre disruption involving Akshay Bhatia?

After witnessing the unfortunate fate of Bhatia, the community has raised questions about the PGA Tour, asking questions like: “Why would the holes on a drain (on a golf course) be larger than golf balls?” and “They design drains bigger than the balls?” However, the reason behind this lies with Donald Ross, the designer of the Detroit Golf Club. Reports indicate that he was originally trying to replicate one of those putt-putt holes where the ball ends up either in the hole or right next to it if you take the shortcut. However, he ultimately scrapped this idea at the last minute.

There are no reports of an incident like this so far and possibly this was the first time something like this happened, highlighting the lower probability of something like this one fan shockingly asked “How is this even possible??!!” While some believed it could only happen in Detroit Golf Club after Donald Ross decided to keep it that way and one user commented: “Only in Detroit.” Expressing similar sentiments towards the Detroit Golf Club, another fan wrote, “Shame on course management for not checking the diameter of these holes!!!!” Afterward, they discussed how simple it would be to prevent such incidents on the course, suggesting that placing a single weld mark on each hole would stop a ball from falling through. 

Akshay Bhatia in the clip was staring at the drain while trying to find his golf ball witnessing that one fan added “Careful, he might dislocate his shoulder trying to open the lid! Possibly highlighting the incident from the 2024 Valero Texas Open, where after winning the title the golfer’s celebration took an unexpected turn when he dislocated his left shoulder while attempting a fist pump after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole and this fan believes it might happen again if the golfer tries to open the lid.

What do you think about this incident surrounding Akshay Bhatia? Share your thoughts in the comments below!