Akshay Bhatia sticking true to plan ahead of Texas Open final round | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Golf Central looks at notable highlights from the third round of the Valero Texas Open before discussing Akshay Bhatia’s outlook with the solo lead entering the final round. #GolfChannel #PGATour #ValeroTexasOpen
» Subscribe to Golf Channel: https://www.youtube.com/golfchannel?sub_confirmation=1
» For the latest news around golf: https://www.nbcsports.com/golf

Welcome to Golf Channel’s official YouTube channel. We are the #1 destination for everything golf – 24/7. Find golf instruction tips, sneak peeks to our original series, news and tournament coverage. We are part of the NBC Sports Group.

Discover what else Golf Channel has to offer:
Live Coverage on Peacock: https://peacocktv.smart.link/v82e9dl56
Live Scores: http://bit.ly/GCScores
TV Schedule: https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/schedule
Instructional Tips: https://www.golfpass.com/learn
Golf Course Reviews: http://bit.ly/GCCourseReviews

Akshay Bhatia sticking true to plan ahead of Texas Open final round | Golf Central | Golf Channel
https://www.youtube.com/golfchannel?sub_confirmation=1

golf Central on YouTube is brought to
you by the new Chrome tour golf ball
from
Callaway welcome in Whit Watson Jim
Gallagher Jr as AA batia carries the
lead into the final round of the Valero
Texas open on Sunday before we see the
highlights let’s see some low lights
from Jordan Speed during the third round
on Saturday this just got nutty at the
18 this is his t- shot at the par five
yeah this is kind of a low he’s been
playing really solid the first day he
had going everywhere uh and bad now he
said he drove it better but his s’s kind
of lied about second day did drive it
better but right there Underneath the
Tree close to some rocks fortunately he
has a swing at it it’s not much of one
but he’s going to go way over here to
the left try to get it back in play
unfortunately it hits a tree Lim and it
drops it right back into a penalty area
he had a rules official there now this
is the play that’s crazy he’s just going
to hit it he knows it’s not out of
bounds if he gets it over here in the
building he’s going to get relief don’t
know that he planned on hitting it in
the gutter it’s kind of the way he
played the hole but he’s got it over in
the gutter he’ll get relief from that
he’ll also get relief from the
scoreboard and now this is his fourth
shot trying to hit a low Runner you’re
thinking if he makes par
here but it doesn’t quite get up the
slope and it’ll feed on back not many
people would have played the hole and
looked at the area as he can but he has
a little different approach to it uh you
got a little dizzy following it that’s
for sure unfortunately so believe it or
not he had a chance for fall after all
that he left the putt short that was the
bogey Putt and that’s probably what it
would have been all along and you’re
just like I did all that for that and
here’s the thing now this is not my
six-year-old grandson did not draw these
arrows in these lines I promise you that
this is where he’s gone over in the
building maybe he wanted a cold drink
get some air conditioning goes back over
here behind the scoreboard and then
bumps it up under the green I don’t know
there’s a lot of different ways to play
it I don’t think he uh
I don’t think he wants to do that again
and as it said he had a chance for bogy
but he makes double and first two holes
he makes bogey finishes it off
everything in in the middle was pretty
solid all in all 72 with even par 72
after all of that makes two Bogies to
start makes four birdies in the middle
of the round makes double at 18 72 minus
3 good night please drive
safely take a look at the leader
highlights starting with Denny McCarthy
this was at the
third and he’s always a great G Raider
and he matches that speed up nicely good
PCH McCarthy and OA batia kind of going
neck and neck from most of the day this
was the putt at number five for batia
yeah so such good rhythm in that stroke
fantastic putt there now back to
McCarthy with his second shot at six
Falls a little above his feet should
move a little from right to left work
real hard on his ball striking although
he’s been at home in South Florida with
it fluence helped him this week tough to
really get a whole lot accomplished but
whatever he worked on P off Nice Shot
[Applause]
there now back to batia balls below his
feet he’s hit so many shots from right
to left left to right he’s working the
ball nothing really straight forward and
that carries just over the slope Nice
Shot
there able to make that birdie and now
at seven for
McCarthy this is just nothing buckets
birdie put there at the far
three batia at
nine below the hole he’s left it there
several times today a little break right
in the
middle McCarthy at the
12th really good Rhythm to his swing
there had such a great young career
Walker cup beat everybody as Junior
golfers he’s trying to get that first
win wonderful shot birdie B got him to
three under par one of three birdies
that he made on the second nine and this
would be one of those m that was a tough
read nicely done
there now back to the left-hander ptia a
coolest shot he hit all day 35 ft Apex
he’s just hitting a little bit of a
ripper in there oh nearly hits the flag
stick that is a cool shot there’s not
1520 yards wide in between that
wonderful
play able to two putt from there for
birdie as we go to the 15th McCarthy
it’s again ball above his feet but this
ball doesn’t move anything but going
right at it hits just up over the slope
it’s again below the
hole that would set him up for his third
and final birdie of the back nine six
birdies overall on the day for McCarthy
but this man he was not going away no
every time you could do this he answered
everything Den he threw at
him baa did make a couple of Bogies on
the day but he had three birdies on the
back including this one at the 18th
you’ll see how much he won this one to
go 1 2 four fist pumps yep birdies at 17
and 18 on the back side birdies at 5 six
and n on the front with Bogies at four
and seven AE batia and He will carry the
lead into the final round four shot
Advantage as batia is trying to become
the first player since Bob Estus to win
this event wire to wire he and ddy
McCarthy creating some separation
between themselves and the rest of the
field but Tia after his round speaking
with Damon hack with leader OE batia OE
you said Friday you were calmer than
expected how would you describe your day
of work on Saturday typically how you
would feel you know holding the lead and
um you know I stuck true to myself true
to my game plan and uh executed great
you know I didn’t make too many mistakes
today and um yeah it was a solid day on
that note you hit a lot of cut shots and
a lot of draws and the wind was up how
much does this style of golf kind of fit
your imagination and in that part of
your brain I love it I mean it’s just so
much fun and uh I don’t ever hit a stock
shot so just playing in the wind uh you
know controlling your flights and
everything it’s it’s a big thing for me
so I enjoy it a lot you know it’s still
very stressful out here because your
margin of error is pretty small and uh
thankfully we got that rain this morning
cuz the greens were a little softer
starting out you’ve also worked very
hard on the mental game what’s it like
to see the fruits of that labor pay off
inside the ropes yeah it’s been great uh
there’s still a lot to learn uh it’s
definitely very stressful I’m happy to
be off the golf course now and just kind
of regroup because it was uh it was
really tough today and uh I’m just proud
of myself for kind of keeping the
mentality that I
needed he’s won on the PGA tour before
it was the Barracuda which uses that
modified stable for scoring system so
he’s looking for his first standard
stroke play win and a chance to go play
in the Masters which obviously is a
lifelong dream for anybody he’s been in
the Drive Chip and Putt he has but he’s
never played at the Masters he’s really
held up well this week he has 26 birdies
in his last 63 Hills that goes back to
the final round last year and strokes G
approach T green he’s been fantastic I I
think it’s fun to watch him work the
ball mean Bubba Watson worked the ball
he’s a lefty Phil Mickelson worked the
ball both different ways it’s a very I
love that creative part that’s a lot of
feel and in the win you have to play by
field so much you can’t get caught up in
your mechanics it’s been wonderful to
watch him do it and I think you we we’ve
mentioned it several times and you have
the second day was the day if you were
to see him really mess up would have
been there and he fought it out he
grinded it out he shot 70 probably could
have shot 72 or three that day and I
think that’s if he goes on to win is
going to be the key round because today
he looked like he did just like he did
in the first round calm relaxed uh the
wind will come out of a different
direction tomorrow so that’ll be a
little bit different the first few holes
on both sides have been very difficult
so far uh but he’s played those first
few holes on the front line very well
eight under on the front seven under on
the back been equal as far as under par
but uh different win Direction he’s
played it now this will be his third
time so he’s may have seen these win
directions that’s a big plus for a guy
that’s only been on tour like he has for
such a short period he’s learned a lot
about the golf course he trusts what
he’s doing I think that’s the biggest
key he’s not doubting anything he’s
having a good time with it and he’s
admitted he’s nervous I think that’s
important that you go ahead you are
nervous if you’re not then you’re in
trouble uh but I think what we’ve seen
it’s been pretty special he admitted
earlier this week that this short into
his career he doesn’t know a lot of the
PGA Tour golf courses played the corn
fairy in the PGA Tour the last couple of
years but he does know this one TPC San
Antonio he’s played it now three times
so Jim you never know this familiarity
May pay off for AA batia as he looks to
go wire to wire at the Valero Texas Open
Championship Sunday
ahead
[Music]
you