Akshay Bhatia started the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a bogey and made two more before the turn as well as one birdie to sit 10-under par with nine holes remaining, five strokes back from the lead before playing the back nine in 5-under 31, including four straight birdies from the 10th and an eagle on the par-5 16th to close with a 3-under 69 and reach 15-under.

Bhatia led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (10.605) and Strokes Gained: Around the Green (5.664).

Daniel Berger was bidding to become the first wire-to-wire winner at the Arnold Palmer Invitational since Jason Day in 2016 and fired five birdies and three bogeys for a 70 to join Bhatia at 15-under and set-up a playoff.

He led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (10.804) and Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (7.914).

Berger bogeyed the first extra hole while Bhatia parred to win his third PGA Tour title in his 102nd start at the age of 24. Remarkably, all three of his titles were won in a playoff (2023 Barracuda Championship, 2024 Valero Texas Open).

“Very blessed to win his event,” said Bhatia. “Everyone knows when you show up to this tournament how hard it is, an elite field, obviously, and just very honored to win his event. I know he was up there watching and probably pretty proud of how that finish was for this week. And yeah, just super fun. The fans were right there with me, which was really cool. It felt like Arnie’s Army for me. So, yeah, very blessed.

“I was pretty annoyed missing that putt on 9. Obviously, Daniel made birdie and that was just a mental mistake that you just can’t make in big tournaments, big golf courses. So I went to 10 tee very angry. And I told Joe [Greiner] that was the first time I really showed some frustration. But I told him, you know, I said we shot 4-under yesterday on this side, let’s just try and do that again. And you just never know in this game. And, yeah, I mean three perfect shots on 10.

“Missed it in a nice spot on 11. Made that putt which was huge. 12, hit great shots.

“And, yeah, I mean, it was just kind of one of those things where there’s so much pressure, so much adrenaline, so many nerves and to be able to play through that I think that’s kind of what Joe kept reminding me of, he’s like, You can play happy, you can play nervous, you can play upset, angry. And it was a lot of fun, for sure.”

This was the American’s third finish of T6 or better in his last four starts on the PGA Tour (T3/WM Phoenix Open, T6/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T16/The Genesis Invitationall).

Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg carded six birdies and one bogey for a 67 and finished T3 at 12-under, notching his best finish on Tour since the 2025 Genesis Invitational (Won) and his first top-10 since the 2025 BMW Championship (T7).

Cameron Young shot a final-round 69 for his share of third place. He and fellow American and defending champion Russell Henley (T6/-10) were the only players bogey free in the final round.

Compatriot Collin Morikawa eagled the par-5 1th and made two birdies and two bogeys for a 70 to finish fifth at 11-under, his third consecutive top-10 finish (Won/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T7/Genesis Invitational) and his third top-10 in six career starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T9/2020, 2nd/2025, 5th/2026).

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) carded a 1-over 73 to finish T24 at 2-under, his first finish outside the top 20 since the 2025 WM Phoenix Open (T25). He has not finished outside the top 25 since the 2024 BMW Championship (T33).

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