Akshay Bhatia makes hole-in-one at BMW Championship at Caves Valley

Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun on Aug 16, 2025

Published in Golf

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — When Akshay Bhatia arrived at Caves Valley Golf Club on Saturday for the BMW Championship’s third round, he sat at 4-over par. He was fighting to hold onto a spot in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings after a tough first two days in Owings Mills for the sweet-swinging lefty, who opened with a 75.

His fortunes changed Saturday, and he’ll leave the course with a new ride. A young caddie will also receive a life-changing reward.

Bhatia holed his second shot for eagle on the par-4 seventh hole, using a sand wedge from 93 yards away to jumpstart his round. He energized the crowd again on the 17th hole, a 227-yard par 3.

Bhatia landed his tee shot with a five iron about 10 feet short of the pin and rolled it into the right side of the cup for a hole-in-one. He jumped up in celebration, taking his hat off in bewilderment as his caddie, John Limanti, gave him a hug.

“When that golf ball goes in, it was the craziest thing in the world,” Bhatia said. “My caddie is pointing at the car, and I don’t even know what to do. I couldn’t even feel my body. Still even going to 18 tee was pretty nuts how much adrenaline I had.”

The ace, his first on the PGA Tour, gives the 23-year-old Bhatia a boost as he battles for a spot in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings — the top 30 make next week’s Tour Championship. It also gives him a new car.

By making a hole-in-one on No. 17, the first ace of his PGA Tour career, he wins a new BMW, the all-electric iX M70 SUV that was perched next to him on the tee box. Bhatia, who joined the PGA Tour in 2023 and has racked up nearly $12 million in on-course earnings, doesn’t plan to keep it.

“I don’t necessarily need a new car,” Bhatia said. “I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got. I think either I’ll give it to my caddie or I’ll figure something out to where I can donate it to charity or something.”

The ace will also provide a full four-year Evans Scholarship in his name to a young caddie, presented by BMW of North America.

“It warms my heart that a golf shot that I hit can help a kid get a full scholarship,” Bhatia said.

The ace is the first for Bhatia as a PGA Tour player, but it’s the sixth of his life. He fondly remembers making an ace at Pinehurst No. 2 as an 11-year-old golfer, but this one stacks up nicely among the aces.

“I can rest my head on my pillow knowing I made a hole-in-one on the PGA Tour,” Bhatia said.

Bhatia’s two spectacular iron shots helped him shoot a 4-under par round of 66. He’s even for the tournament and is firmly in the mix to finish in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings entering Sunday’s final round. The top 30 finishers will advance to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta and compete for a $40 million purse.

“I’m not going to leave anything on the table tomorrow,” he said.