DELOFTED Update from February 15, 2026
Folks, listen up! In the third round of the PGA Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Akshay Bhatia made quite a statement. He birdied six of the first seven holes and carded a strong 68. This gave him a two-shot lead, but things really heated up on the green!
However, the wind on the signature 18th hole, right by the ocean, made the balls dance wildly and knocked them off track. Bhatia had to wait for an eternity, then unfortunately missed the crucial seven-foot birdie putt and finished the round with a par.
"It's always nice to get off to a good start," Bhatia later grinned. "Making six out of the first seven holes was really strong."
Despite this absolutely phenomenal start, the 24-year-old American didn't manage another birdie thereafter. He completed 54 holes at 19-under 197 strokes, but saw his five-shot lead before Sunday's final round shrink to just two shots. Things really tightened up again!
"Conquering the elements at Pebble Beach is always fun," Bhatia said with a wink. "But you also have to dig in a bit when you get to Eight, Nine, Ten, Twelve. And 17 was just a brutally tough hole today. Nevertheless, I'm definitely happy with today."
In a tie for second place at 199 strokes was Collin Morikawa, who already has two major titles under his belt. The man put on an absolute fireworks display, carding a 62 with five birdies on the last six holes – what a phenomenal round! Also lying in wait: his compatriot Jake Knapp and our Austrian friend Sepp Straka. Jacob Bridgeman (USA) is on the podium with 200 strokes, and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama follows with 201 strokes.
"I wanted to come out here and win the tournament," Morikawa stated. "Now we've given ourselves a real chance."
Bhatia, who finished a strong third last week in Phoenix, is now aiming for his third PGA title. He already won the Barracuda Championship in 2023 and the Texas Open in 2024. So, the man knows how to win!
"One of thirty tournaments we play can really get down to business," said Bhatia. "I'm just looking forward to it and will have a good time."
And according to the weather report, Sunday is set to be intense again: gusts of around 35 mph are predicted. No wonder Bhatia had briefly hoped for a reprieve with the wobbling balls on the 18th.
"I had hoped, but it doesn't look any better tomorrow," Bhatia honestly admitted. "Our golf balls were just oscillating. Technically, it's not a moved ball, but it's just brutally difficult to make a putt when you see your ball wobbling forwards, backwards, backwards, forwards. It's just brutal." And he continued: "Under such conditions, with everything going through your mind, it's
