Akshay Bhatia’s historic short-game stat, Jon Rahm’s good karma and Lexi Thompson ties the knot

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we feel like the victim of a cruel joke. After one of the most brutal winters ever, we finally had a nice day and I almost ran to a local course. Only it was still completely closed, even the range and practice area. And a sign like this was posted:

I say "like this," because that’s not the actual sign. Because I don’t want to give away the course in case they press charges. Because I did trespass and risk being arrested to hit a few chips (just in the grass, not even onto a green, I’m not a total animal) and I don’t want to be prosecuted. Anyway, we’re getting close(r) to golf season. Finally. I think … (*Checks next week’s forecast and sees more snow*). Or not. Sigh. OK, let’s talk about some people who actually got to play golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Akshay Bhatia: What a Sunday back-nine rally by the 24-year-old, who won the Battle of Bay Hill thanks to a closing 31 that included this spectacular near-albatross:

The lefty was right all week on the greens on his way to claiming the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the biggest win of his career (so far). He gained an absurd 16.3 shots on and around the greens, which, according to stats guru Justin Ray, is the most by any PGA Tour winner since the start of the ShotLink Era.

Bhatia may have skipped college, but he’s earned a doctorate in broomstick putting the past two years and now he’s got a cardigan befitting a college professor. The young man also gets extra credit for his play in extra holes as he’s now a perfect 3-0 in PGA Tour playoffs. Man, the margins are thin at the top of the game! And to think he wouldn’t have even been in a playoff if this putt Sunday morning hadn’t (delayed) dropped.

Margins!

Also, is he drinking an Arnold Palmer while wearing that Arnold Palmer cardigan after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational? If so, that's awesome. 

Jon Rahm: The Spaniard started the week by chartering a private plane to pick up a group of LIV golfers stranded in Dubai. He ended by beating all those other guys and the rest of the field at the LIV Hong Kong event. Who says karma is dead?

What’s actually dead is Rahm’s stunning 18-month winless drought in the Saudi-backed league—especially with so many high finishes the past two seasons. “Very relieved,” Rahm said after. And now he’s really got a leg up on claiming the league’s, um, interesting “Clutch Player of the Year” Award again.

Walk-off birdies: Especially of the tap-in variety. That’s what Mi Hyang Lee did at the Blue Bay LPGA to break a nearly nine-year (!) winless drought. Heck, Akshay Bhatia was only 15 the last time Lee won.

But what a way to make it back to the winner’s circle. Lee shot an opening 40 on Sunday before turning things around. “My caddie Chad [Payne] said to keep fighting,” Lee told Golf Channel. “After the double on 9, I almost gave up. It was some terrible golf. He said, ‘you can fight and fight, still make a lot of birdies.' We had nine holes left. He gave me a lot of positives.” Now that’s a caddie who earned his 10 percent.

PGA Tour Champions rookies: Is there a more dominant group in all of sports? Zach Johnson is the latest tour pro to turn 50 and he wasted no time getting his first victory on the senior circuit at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational (Yes, that’s the tournament’s real name). By four shots.

It's not a fair fight! The new guys just constantly come and start beating up on the old guys. It’s like reverse hazing. Anyway, congrats to Johnson on getting win No. 1. The dude should dominate on the PGA Tour Champions—unless a certain Sunday red-wearing 50-year-old gets healthy and decides to join the fun.

WE’RE SELLING

Daniel Berger on Bay Hill’s 18th: As if we needed a reminder of how much of a mental game golf is, look no farther than Berger. The guy drove the ball on a string all week, but clearly, the 18th hole got on his head on Sunday. He missed the fairway badly three times and it led to a crushing loss in which he had led since an opening 63 and had a five-shot lead over playing partner Akshay Bhatia heading to the final nine:

Still, it’s encouraging for a guy who has worked his way back from a slew of injuries. And what he didn’t know was that I had money on him so it was fate that he wouldn’t win. Sorry, Daniel.

John Daly II’s Sunday: We praised the Puerto Rico Open’s use of sponsor's exemptions last week, specifically for giving this guy his first PGA Tour start. But, admittedly, I didn’t see this coming. Not only did Daly play, but he played his way into contention through 54 holes thanks to electric shots like this driver off the deck:

But, yes, he stumbled on Sunday, shooting 74 and falling all the way to T-37 (Big congrats to Ricky Castillo on winning his first PGA Tour title, by the way!). Overall, though, a nice debut for this guy who is still a senior at Arkansas. He’ll be an even bigger man on campus after this performance.

Back injuries: First, Justin Thomas made his PGA Tour return from back surgery and shot a pair of 79s. Tough. Then, Rory McIlroy, who has one of the cleanest bills of health in the sport, got bitten by a bad back seemingly out of nowhere ahead of Saturday’s third round. It marked his first WD since the infamous wisdom teeth WD at the 2013 Honda Classic. And now the five-time major champ has delayed his arrival to the Players Championship, where he’s the defending champ.

And the following day I hurt my back as well. While working out. In part, so that I wouldn’t get hurt. Sigh. So, as a six-time HGGA Championship (my annual golf trip) winner, I feel your pain, Rory. Here’s hoping us two great golf champions will get well soon.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing continues with the Players Championship, AKA THE PLAYERS, AKA the unofficial fifth major that the PGA Tour is trying to make the official fifth major. If I had to take a side, I guess I’d side with it being a major, if for no other reason than the PGA Tour probably deserves to run a major. Regardless, it’s a big-time event and golf fans should be pumped because it’s an awesome week.

Random tournament fact: There is another island at TPC Sawgrass. And, unlike the famed “island” green, this one is actually an island. I felt like a brave explorer checking it out way back in 2015, and now, our Shane Ryan has done this tremendous video on “Tree Island.” If you consume one piece of Players content, make it this one:

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Akshay Bhatia regrets not going to college: 4 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Akshay Bhatia will win again this week: 43-to-1 odds

—Akshay Bhatia will win again if he gains 16.3 shots around the green: LOCK

TWEET OF THE WEEK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Nailed it.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (FUN REACTION)

The best part about Tom Kim’s season-saving simulator ace was Tiger Woods acting like he just won a sixth green jacket:

What an awesome moment for Kim, Tiger and all of TGL.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (FRUSTRATED REACTION)

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is suddenly in a slump. And he took out his frustration a couple times at Bay Hill by showing off his arm:

Dude low-key has a cannon for an arm.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Congrats to Lexi Thompson and Max Provost on tying the knot!

The wedding took place in a “Tuscan-style estate in Southwest Florida” and it looks like a beautiful venue. But even though it wasn’t actually in Tuscany, all I can think about is the Seinfeld when the Maestro tells Jerry there are no houses to rent in all of Tuscany.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

A group of San Francisco 49ers on vacation posed like it was a Vogue fashion show so that their WAGs would let them play golf:

Proving once again, that golfers will do anything to get out on the course.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“In 2023? P-Reed was one of them. Sorry to see him go.” —Dustin Johnson when asked who was on the 4Aces the last time they won a LIV event.

It doesn’t get any more Dustin Johnson than that.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to 2017 U.S. Amateur champ Doc Redman on getting his long-awaited first win as a pro at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Chile Classic. Golf is a tough, tough game. … Joel Dahmen and Geno Bonnalie will reunite for this week at the Players. Setting up to create another tear-jerking episode of “Full Swing.” … Tobacco Road Golf Club announced the creation of The Matchbox, a new 12-hole par-3 course opening this summer. As if the place wasn't awesome enough already. And just like that, the odds that the 2027 HGGA Championship (my annual golf trip) will be there just got slashed. … And, finally, disappointing news to report from Costco. The chocolate soft-serve ice cream has once again been taken away. This time it was replaced with this double mint chocolate concoction:

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty good. But I need my chocolate ice cream. Especially if you’re going to bill something as “Double chocolate.” Hopefully, this is just a St. Patrick’s Day thing. Otherwise, I’ll be devastated.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will Costco bring back the chocolate soft serve?

When will my back feel all better?

When will golf season actually start around here?