There has long been a caste system on the Tour, but Patrick Reed is the first player to really challenge its devotion to decorum while still possessing major-winning talent.
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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico - Akshay Bhatia won't reach legal drinking age in the United States until January 31, 2023. But he's quickly proving that he's of age to contend on the PGA TOUR. The 18-year-old Monday qualified into this week's Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN, and he's maximizing his opportunity. Bhatia has opened in rounds of 67-69 at El Camaleon GC, comfortably inside the top-15 midway through the final full-field TOUR event of the 2020 calendar year. There was a learning curve for Bhatia, to be sure. He missed the cut in his first seven TOUR starts, admitting that urgency to earn Special Temporary Membership was too much of a focal point. Bhatia made his first TOUR cut at the Safeway Open in September, finishing T9. A weight was lifted, and he's continuing to display his immense potential in Mexico. "After that, I felt like I belonged," said Bhatia of the significance around his Safeway Open top-10. "It showed I could play, that I could score well. I feel like I'm doing everything right as far as practice ... I feel like my good is good enough, and that I can compete out here. So it's just a matter of time. "I'm excited to keep playing out here, and for the opportunities that I've gotten." After turning professional in fall 2019, Bhatia missed by six strokes at Second Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament last fall. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, putting on hold his efforts of earning TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour starts via Monday qualifiers. There may have been a silver lining, though. Bhatia carved out a mini-tour schedule that extended through the summer months, building confidence by stacking low rounds. While several his age are debating their college choices, Bhatia is developing a veteran mindset in the professional golf ranks. "I haven't really thought about it," said Bhatia when asked whether Special Temporary Membership has been on his mind this week. "Any chance I get to play the PGA TOUR, I'm just going to try to play as well as I can. "If you asked me that last year, I would've been thinking about that a lot, and it's just amazing how much experience can change perspective over a year. Being 18, it's helped me a lot versus 17." Bhatia was born in southern California and now lives in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, where he plays out of TPC Wakefield Plantation. There, he has cultivated a frequent practice-round grouping with TOUR winners Chesson Hadley and Grayson Murray, as well as Korn Ferry Tour pro Stephen Franken. He's learning the value placed on low scores in professional golf - noting the confidence gained via carding rounds of 62 and 63 in mini-tour events this summer - and embracing lessons shared by his veteran practice partners. "It's fun just having a good, solid group of guys that like to play and can help each other out with experience," Bhatia said. "I had a really good summer in mini-tour events and just learning how to be in contention, how to shoot low ... and that's what you have to do out here." Bhatia could earn TOUR Special Temporary Membership (which brings the ability to accept unlimited sponsor's exemptions) by accruing 288 non-member FedExCup Points - the equivalent of No. 150 on the 2018-19 FedExCup standings. He earned 70 non-member Points via his Safeway Open finish, and could move further toward the mark with a strong weekend in Mexico. He's no longer thinking along those lines, though. He's enjoying the competition amongst the mangroves at El Camaleon GC, and looking forward to the weekend ahead. "I've got to say," Bhatia said, "it's pretty fun being able to compete with these guys."
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Chase Seiffert started fast and closed with a birdie for a 7-under 65 and a share of the Puerto Rico Open lead with Michael Kim on Thursday. Trying to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR, Seiffert birdied Nos. 2-5 at breezy Grand Reserve, bogeyed the sixth and added birdies on Nos. 9, 13, 16 and 18. “Absolutely stoked,” Seiffert said. “We have wonderful conditions. I came out of the gates really putting well. That got my round off to a nice start. … It seemed like every time I missed the green, it was an easy up-and-down, so… Just kind of stress-free golf.” Kim had a bogey-free round. Since winning the John Deere Classic in 2018, he has made only 15 cuts in 75 starts on the PGA TOUR, including one stretch of 25 consecutive events without making it to the weekend. He was No. 75 in the world when he won and now is at No. 1,030. The event is being played opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in Orlando, Florida. The winner will receive a two-year exemption and gets in the PGA Championship. Ryan Brehm was a stroke back, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Aaron Baddeley shot 67. University of Oklahoma senior Chris Gotterup had a 68 in his first TOUR round. He won the Puerto Rico Classic collegiate event two weeks ago at Grand Reserve. Vaughn Taylor also was at 68 with Ben Kohles, Nick Hardy, Patrick Flavin, Greg Chalmers, Peter Uihlein and Satoshi Kodaira. Puerto Rico native Rafa Campos birdied his last two holes for a 70. Kurt Kitayama, third last week in the Honda Classic, shot a 76.
Ted Potter Jr. beat three of the biggest names on the PGA Tour at one of the most famous golf courses in America, and then his day got even better. Walking out to the 18th green for the trophy presentation at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he stopped to chat with Clint Eastwood. “It was pretty awesome to meet him out there today,” Potter said. “Big fan of a lot of his movies he’s done, and it was just incredible to meet him, too.” In some respects, Potter starred in his own show with an ending not many imagined. He turned pro out of high school and groomed his game on the mini-tours, sometimes earning barely enough money to pay for a week’s worth of food and gas. When he first got onto the Web.com
