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Story of this season? Akshay Bhatia kept saying it Sunday

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Every Sunday brings something different. One week there’s tears in the eyes of the champion. The next there’s flushed cheeks and sorrow words from the runner-up. This week brought the first playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in nearly 30 years. And with it, a reminder:

This whole season has been telling us something. And Akshay Bhatia was watching closely enough to remind us once he made the winning putt. 

“This game is so crazy,” he told Cara Banks just minutes after his win. “It’s been crazy for these last couple weeks, watching [Jacob] Bridgeman win and then watching Nico [Echavarria] win, and so you just never know what can happen in this game.”

If you only tune in on Sundays, that’s been the story of the year, no? You just never know. That’s all we’ve seen recently! The Bridgeman character he’s referring to nearly bungled a lead on the back nine at the Genesis Invitational two weeks ago, having started the day six shots ahead. (He somewhat calmly parred the last to win by one.) The Nico character he’s referring to was last week’s winner by way of a Shane Lowry collapse. Lowry held a three-shot lead with three to play before rinsed multiple shots in the water. You just never know.

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Bhatia was never leading this week’s tournament alone until that final putt dropped. Daniel Berger, the runner-up, was trying to lead wire-to-wire, which had never been done at the legendary tournament. The 32-year-old Floridian had a five-shot lead through 36 holes. Then a one-shot lead through 54. And then suddenly, a three-shot lead with just six to play. He was on cruise control, but you just never know.


Akshay Bhatia of the United States celebrates with caddie Joe Greiner after winning the tournament on the eighteenth green during the first playoff hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard 2026 at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 08, 2026 in Orlando, Florida.

Akshay Bhatia’s clubs: What’s in his Arnold Palmer Invitational-winning bag


By:


Jack Hirsh



Chris Gotterup had one-half of a hole to play at the WM Phoenix Open last month, sitting two shots back with an expected win probability of 0.7%. (That is, win once or twice in 200 tries.) It was Super Bowl Sunday so maybe you weren’t watching, or maybe you were focused on making an appetizer, or commuting to the football watch party … as Gotterup stunted on those odds, made birdie from the rough, squeezed into a playoff and poured in a 40-footer to win. You just never know.

Maybe that’s what Bhatia was thinking while playing the par-5 16th hole, on which he hit perhaps the best 6-iron of his life to a tap-in eagle, moving to one back. It’s likely the shot he’ll remember most from this tournament, given how it took three steely pars after to raise the trophy. 

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He did, at the very least, admit to thinking about that mentality when he turned to the back nine. Bhatia had played the front in two over, bogeying the 9th. He was five back of Berger at that point and pissed off. 

“So I went to 10 tee very angry,” he said after, while wearing the red cardigan that API winner’s receive. “That was the first time I really showed some frustration. But I told [my caddie, Joe Greiner] you know, we shot 4-under yesterday on this side, let’s just try and do that again. And you just never know in this game.”

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Fans react as Bo Horvat gets a $2,500 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct vs Sharks bench player

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced announced on Sunday that New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat had been fined $2,500 for his unsportsmanlike conduct towards San Jose Sharks’ William Eklund during their 2-1 win on Saturday at SAP Center on the road.

The incident occurred with less than four minutes to play in the third period. Horvat skated towards the Sharks bench, let go of his stick and flicked Eklund’s helmet aggressively before skating away. The interaction drew no response from Eklund, although Sharks’ Tyler Toffoli was seen getting agitated by Horvat’s actions.

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Unfortunately for the Isles center, the NHL Department of Player Safety also didn’t take kindly to the incident. They gave a briefing about their judgment of the fine on Sunday, which read:

“New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat has been fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct against San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund at the San Jose bench during NHL Game No. 999 in San Jose on Saturday, March 7, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

“The incident occurred at 16:15 of the third period. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.”

Fans reacted on social media after the announcement. They felt that the league was too harsh on Horvat and the massive fine wasn’t warranted.

Here are a few reactions:

“(George) Parros is getting soft in his old age,” a fan said about the head of the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Parros is getting soft in his old age

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“So players can’t joke around anymore??? What is this,” a fan questioned.

So players can’t joke around anymore ??? What is this

“$2500 for a little bench chat? NHL’s lost the plot,” a fan wrote.

$2500 for a little bench chat? NHL’s lost the plot

“Chirping someone on the bench is a fine ?? Lol,” a fan commented.

Chirping someone on the bench is a fine ?? Lol

“Cross checks to the face are accepted but a helmet flip is a fine??” another fan questioned.

Cross checks to the face are accepted but a helmet flip is a fine??

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“Bruh this is literally human nature, grow up NHL,” a fan added.

Bruh this is literally human nature, grow up @NHL

Both Horvat and Eklund are key players on their respective lineups. Horvat has scored 27 goals in 50 games for the club and is eight goals away from a career high for a season. Eklund is the No.7 overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. He has 148 points in his career with 38 coming this season.

Macklin Celebrini shies away from commenting on Matthew Barzal hit

Many fans contested on social media that instead of Horvat, Isles’ Matthew Barzal should have been penalized for a huge hit on Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini a few moments before his incident occurred in the third period. While traversing towards the puck that was in possession of the Islanders, Celebrini took a hit from Barzal and looked shaken up.

During the postgame interviews he walked away when asked about Barzal’s conduct.

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The Sharks are locked in battle for the Western Conference Wild Card spots. They are trailing the Seattle Kraken, who hold the second spot, by a point after Sunday.