Akshay Bhatia overcame a five-shot deficit on the back nine to force a playoff and defeat Daniel Berger on the first extra hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. The 24-year-old secured his third PGA Tour title—all in playoffs—and the event's first playoff since 1999, closing with a 3-under 69 to match Berger's 15-under 273 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, a $20 million Signature Event, concluded on March 8 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida, with dramatic sudden-death playoff action—the first at the event in nearly 30 years. Akshay Bhatia overcame a five-shot back-nine deficit to force extra holes against Daniel Berger, who was seeking his first win since 2021 after injuries including a bulging disc, back issues, and a broken finger that sidelined him for 27 months.
Berger opened with a 63 on Thursday and led through 54 holes by one shot entering the final round, despite a Saturday thunderstorm delay that pushed play to Sunday morning. Bhatia trailed by five after a missed 30-inch par on the ninth but mounted a charge with four birdies from 10-13, including a 58-foot putt on 11 and capitalizing on Berger's bogey on 13 after a plugged bunker shot. Bhatia's momentum peaked on the par-5 16th, where he hit what he called his best 6-iron ever from 191 yards for a tap-in eagle, leveling scores after Berger bogeyed 17 from eight feet.
Berger drained a 13- to 15-foot par putt on 18 to force the playoff, while Bhatia parred. In the extra hole on 18, Bhatia drove into the fairway, hit a strong iron to leave a 4-foot par putt, and converted. Berger hooked his drive into rough, laid up from 106 feet off the green, and missed an 8-foot par after a lag putt, handing Bhatia the $4 million winner's prize, 700 FedExCup points, his first Signature Event title, and the iconic red cardigan sweater.
"This game is so crazy," Bhatia said, referencing recent unpredictable wins by Jacob Bridgeman and Nico Echavarria. "You just never know what can happen." He channeled Arnold Palmer's 'play bold' mantra, noting his resolve after arriving at the 10th tee angry: "I went to 10 tee very angry... you just never know in this game." Bhatia's bag included his Callaway Rogue ST Max LS driver and Fujikura Ventus Black shafts, consistent with prior victories. Berger earned $2.2 million and qualification for The Open at Royal Birkdale, saying, "I’m proud of myself... It’s tough to win. It’s tough to battle, but I feel like I did a good job."
Ludvig Åberg and Cameron Young tied for third at 12-under ($1.2 million each), Collin Morikawa was fifth ($840,000), and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler tied for 24th after a double on 18.
