Akshay Bhatia had a surprising turn of events during his round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He hit a beautiful tee shot on the par-5 17th hole, only to watch it disappear into a storm drain in the fairway. Despite the mishap, Bhatia managed to get free relief under the rules of golf and continued his round without penalty.
The rules official determined that Bhatia was entitled to free relief under Rule 16.1b and 16.1e, as it was virtually certain that his ball was in the drainage basin under the grate. With this ruling, Bhatia was able to continue his round and finish with an eventful par on the hole.
Despite the lost ball incident, Bhatia went on to make five birdies on the day and finished in the 36-hole clubhouse lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. It was an impressive performance considering the unexpected mishap on the fairway.
Overall, Bhatia’s round was filled with ups and downs, but he managed to handle the situation with grace and continue playing at a high level. It just goes to show that anything can happen in golf, and sometimes you have to roll with the punches and make the best of a challenging situation.