Masters 2024: Is Akshay Bhatia Eligible for a Last Minute Invite to ANGC Field?

Published 04/05/2024, 2:45 PM EDT

The field size is soon nearing its completion for the Augusta showdown. However, the last chance to grab an invite for the illustrious competition and a chance to win prestigious green jacket is presently underway at TPC San Antonio.

Quite a few names in the field, such as Rory McIlroy, is also playing at the Valero Texas Open, and in the meantime, pros like Akshay Bhatia are performing exceptionally well to grab a ticket to the 88th Masters.

A win at Valero Texas Open can open doors to ANGC for Akshay Bhatia

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Bhatia’s name is not confirmed yet for the Masters and the win at the Valero Texas Open could give him just that, just like last week, Stephen Jaeger got invite to play after he carded his maiden Tour win at the Houston Open. The 22-year-old was off to a good start at TPC San Antonio with nine birdies and no bogeys to shoot a 9-under 63.

As he entered the second round, he had a three-stroke lead over his compatriots. Although Bhatia seem to face challenges at the first hole as he shot par but three birdies within his first five holes provided him with a solid start. He further birdied holes 9, 12, 14, 15, 17, and 18 further advancing his position. He equaled his career’s lowest round on the PGA Tour for the fourth time.

When discussing his lead, Bhatia remarked, “It doesn’t matter to me,” to the PGA tour. Considering the pro wasn’t “trying to win the golf tournament,” on Thursday instead he just wanted to have “a nice day.” By end of the day, he just wanted to “go and sleep. It’s been a long day, it’s been very hot.”

Akshay Bhatia currently leads by three at the Valero Texas Open following an opening-round, bogey-free 9-under 63. He equals his career low round on the PGA TOUR (fourth occasion; first since the third round of the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta).
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 4, 2024

Bhatia, winner of the 2023 Barracuda Championship, has five top-20 finishes in nine starts this season, with a T11 at last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open his best outing. If luck and skill continues to favor Bhatia and he wins the $9.2 million event, he will be awarded an invitation to the Masters tournament.

The tournaments before the Masters are final chances for the golfers who have not yet secured an invitation to play at Augusta National, and the Texas Open is the very last one.

Who got the Masters invite in 2023?

Corey Conners was awarded the last invite of Masters in 2023. The Canadian shot bogey-free 68 against Sam Stevens to claim one-stroke victory, which gave him a 15-under-273 total. The 2023 win was the second time that Conners had won the Texas Open, his first victory was in 2019.

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Following his “really happy” win at the Valero Texas Open, the Canadian pro revealed that he “kept things simple” which helped him to relax. Although, the competition was “challenging” but overall it was “an amazing day” and he was glad with how things concluded. Conners, however ended up missing the cut at the 2023 Masters, but his last minute did allure him into a great experience at the Augusta.

After the conclusion of the first round, the odds appear to be in favor of Akshay Bhatia but by the end of the week, things can take drastic turn. The confirmation of the final invitee for the Masters will be announced after the event is concluded. Do you believe Bhatia will maintain his lead, or will another name emerge at the top of the leaderboard? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by:

Naman Kumar is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports. An expert in analytical pieces, he never fails to awe his readers with his niche coverage of big names—like his idol, Phil Mickelson—in the sport. Naman is also adept at predictability pieces, where he explores the immediate future of players, be it through where they’ll play next or whether injuries will cause them to withdraw from an event.

Edited by:

Riya Singhal

Masters 2024: Is Akshay Bhatia Eligible for a Last Minute Invite to ANGC Field?

A win at Valero Texas Open can open doors to ANGC for Akshay Bhatia

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