Bhatia beats McCarthy for Texas Open win
Akshay Bhatia defeated Denny McCarthy on the first playoff hole to complete a wild win at the Valero Texas Open on Sunday at TPC San Antonio.
Bhatia began the day with a four-shot lead but went to a playoff after McCarthy finished his round with seven straight birdies for an 8-under 28 on the back nine and a final-round 63. Bhatia finished his 67 with a birdie on the par-5 18th but dislocated his left shoulder with a celebratory fist pump.
The players returned to the 18th tee, and Bhatia realized his shoulder was hurt after his drive. While Bhatia waited for a trainer to help him tape his shoulder, McCarthy put his third shot of the hole into the creek that runs alongside the green.
Bhatia promptly stuck his third shot 6 feet from the cup, and he drained his birdie to win the event and secure a berth into next week’s Masters.
Both players finished at 20-under 268 after McCarthy’s record-setting 28, which saw him drain birdie putts on the 10th and the 12th through 18th holes. Known as one of the best putters on the PGA Tour, McCarthy made a 32 at No. 12 and a 41-footer at No. 15 before a 12 putt from right to left at No. 18 got him to 20 under.
Bhatia and McCarthy finished nine strokes ahead of third-place Rory McIlroy, who shot a final-round 66 to come in at 11 under.
LIV Golf
Dean Burmester of South Africa saved par at the second playoff hole to defeat Sergio Garcia of Spain and win LIV Golf Miami for his first LIV victory on Sunday at Trump National Doral.
After both players made par the first time through, they returned to the tee at the par-4 18th, and Garcia’s second shot found the water hazard. Burmester got on in two shots, and Garcia holed a bogey putt to put the pressure on Burmester to save par. But there was little to sweat, as Burmester’s 3-footer for par was in all the way, giving the 34-yearold his first LIV title after four career wins on the DP World Tour.
Garcia, who held a share of the lead
after the first round and a two-stroke advantage after the second, once again came up short in a playoff. The 2017 Masters champion lost a playoff at LIV Golf Singapore last year to Talor Gooch and fell to Chile’s Joaquin Niemann at the 2024 season opener at Mayakoba.
Garcia made a dramatic 40-foot birdie
putt across the 17th green to get to 12 under, and up ahead, Burmester carded his only bogey of the day at the 18th to finish at 4-under 68 for the day and 11under 205 for the week.
But when Garcia reached the green in two, he simply had to make two putts to polish off the win in regulation. His first
came up well short, and his par attempt slid past the cup, as he settled for a finalround 70 and the playoff.
Matthew Wolff (69 Sunday) finished in third two shots behind at 10 under. Marc Leishman (69) of Australia, Jon Rahm (69) of Spain and Tyrrell Hatton (71) of England tied for fourth at 8 under.