Akshay Bhatia has revealed one of the tricks Augusta National play during The Masters as he looks to win his first major title next month.
Bhatia is arguably one of the real contenders to win The Masters next month. He was in a fantastic position to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before being caught during the final round.
He was not to be denied at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, however. Bhatia defeated Daniel Berger on the first playoff hole at Bay Hill after a sublime back nine on Sunday.
Akshay Bhatia suggests what will be crucial to his Masters hopes
The 24-year-old’s record in the majors is, so far, not an impressive one for a player of his calibre. However, The Masters is the one major where Bhatia is yet to miss the cut.
The youngster has finished tied for 35th and tied for 42nd on his two previous visits to Augusta National.
And speaking on The Smylie Show, Bhatia suggested what he believes is going to be crucial if he is going to find himself in the mix at the first major of the year.
“It really just comes down to putting for me there, because I haven’t putted great. I haven’t made a lot of long putts there. I’ve avoided three-putting there and my short game has always sparked there for whatever reason. I think it’s the imagination of how you have to hit chips,” he said.
What caught Bhatia off-guard about Augusta National
Augusta National is undoubtedly one of the most iconic venues on the planet. Despite the fact that most of us will never get to experience the feeling of hitting a shot there, it is a golf course that everyone tuning in feels so familiar with.
Inevitably, there will be shots that evoke memories of remarkable moments from years gone by. But Augusta still manages to sprinkle in some surprises.
Speaking to Smylie Kaufman – who was in the final group on Sunday at the 2016 Masters – Bhatia explained what he has noticed about the tee boxes at the course.
“There’s so many crazy things at Augusta. Every tee box is pitched uphill. I don’t know if you have ever noticed that. Obviously, you played well there your first year, but every tee box is pitched uphill. Every time, I hit it high on the face with no spin, so that was something I realised. And some tee boxes are above my feet. They do all these tricks, man, it’s crazy,” he said.
It is threatening to be one of the all-time great Masters in a couple of weeks, with so many of the world’s best players performing so well going into the event.
Bhatia is one of those who has every right to set his sights on winning the Green Jacket.
