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Akshay Bhatia fended off a birdie blitz from Denny McCarthy to safe the ultimate spot at The Masters after finishing a nerve-jangling wire-to-wire victory on the Valero Texas Open, with Rory McIlroy ending an encouraging third in San Antonio.
Bhatia wanted to win in Texas to earn an invitation to Augusta Nationwide from Thursday and appeared poised to do this in routine style as he reached the flip six strokes away from McCarthy.
Nonetheless, McCarthy then reeled off eight birdies in 9 holes, together with on every of his final seven, to affix Bhatia on 20 beneath par, coming house in 28 to signal for a nine-under 63 amid a masterclass on the greens which noticed him tie the PGA Tour 72-hole file of simply 92 putts.
Bhatia, although, secured victory on the primary play-off gap with a birdie as McCarthy’s cost got here to an finish when he discovered the water along with his third shot.
McCarthy – who had already certified for The Masters by dint of his world rating – threatened to win the occasion in regulation time when he curled in a 12-footer at 18, just for Bhatia to sink from an analogous vary beneath immense stress to power sudden demise.
The 22-year-old injured his shoulder celebrating his clutch putt and obtained therapy however that difficulty didn’t have an effect on him within the play-off as he claimed his second PGA Tour victory, after the 2023 Barracuda Championship.
Watch Bhatia tee it up at The Masters, solely reside on Sky Sports activities between April 11-14, with protection of Thursday’s opening day getting beneath method at 2pm.
Bhatia, who started his last spherical with a four-shot benefit over McCarthy, birdied three of his first 4 holes to increase his lead and went out in a three-under 33.
The teenager then rebounded from a bogey at 10 with a birdie at 11 and picked up an additional shot at 14 however was reeled in by McCarthy, whose scorching again 9 included chipping in from off the inexperienced at 15.
McIlroy: I really feel I am in a greater place
McIlroy, in the meantime, will make his tenth try on the profession Grand Slam at The Masters as he seems so as to add the Inexperienced Jacket to his earlier 4 main wins – the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, the 2011 US Open and 2014 Open Championship.
Rory McIlroy hits his drive on the 18th gap in the course of the second spherical of the Texas Open
The world No 2 – who revealed final week that he sought the recommendation of Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon forward of The Masters – shot a six-under, bogey-free 66 on Sunday to finish on 11 beneath for the event, 9 strokes behind Bhatia and McCarthy.
McIlroy birdied his second and third holes after which picked up three positive aspects in 4 holes halfway by his spherical, earlier than a last birdie at 18.
The Northern Irishman stated: “It was very stable. It was a second bogey-free spherical of the week, which is actually pleasing in comparison with what it has been like. It was good to get a spherical like that beneath the belt heading into subsequent week.
“I positively really feel like I am in a greater place than I used to be a couple of weeks in the past. Via the Florida swing there was simply a whole lot of volatility in my sport – some good, some unhealthy, fairly a couple of large numbers.
“I am all the time going to have the ability to hit good pictures, it is simply how unhealthy the unhealthy ones are. This week the unhealthy ones have been nonetheless in play. I used to be in a position to scramble nicely sufficient after I did hit a couple of poor ones.
“To me subsequent week is all about self-discipline, about staying in charge of your self and in charge of what you possibly can management. If I can try this nicely, then the remainder will observe.”
When is The Masters on Sky Sports activities?
Wall-to-wall protection from the event begins at 2pm over the primary two rounds on Thursday April 11 and Friday April 12, with Featured Group motion and common updates from across the course obtainable to take pleasure in on Sky Sports activities Golf till the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm.
There will probably be a lot of further motion all through all 4 days by way of the pink button on Sky Sports activities Golf, together with Sky Q and Sky Glass, offering loads of bonus feeds and permitting you to observe gamers’ progress by varied elements of Augusta’s well-known format.
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The Masters is upon us and you may watch all of the great motion and intense drama from Augusta reside on Sky Sports activities, from Thursday April 11 – Sunday April 14
The Masters is upon us and you may watch all of the great motion and intense drama from Augusta reside on Sky Sports activities, from Thursday April 11 to Sunday April 14
The infamous Amen Nook stream can even be obtainable and focuses on the well-known three-hole stretch from the eleventh, whereas a feed of the fourth, fifth and sixth holes will go reside every day as quickly because the opening group attain that a part of the course.
One other stream protecting the fifteenth and sixteenth gap can be obtainable for each spherical, whereas prolonged protection of the weekend motion begins at each 3pm on each Saturday April 13 and Sunday April 14.
Sky Sports activities Golf will present build-up content material and occasional reside updates from the course earlier than the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm for the third spherical and 7pm for the ultimate day, with early motion obtainable all through by way of the pink button.
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