For anyone who might doubt golf’s fickle nature, Cam Davis’ unlikely victory in the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club offered a vivid reminder of how quickly things can change.
Akshay Bhatia knows all about it.
Davis, who had been locked into a confidence-shaking downturn, won in Detroit for the second time in four years when Bhatia three-putted the final green from 32 feet, missing from inside 6 feet to force extra holes.
“From where I was a couple of weeks ago to today, I’m a completely different person,” said Davis, who finished at 18-under par 270 after a final-round 70.
Davis, an Australian and member of the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup, did not have a top-10 finish this season before Sunday. Since a tie for 12th at the Masters, Davis had not finished better than T38 in seven starts, with two missed cuts.
He began working recently with a hypnotherapist “to get myself sorted out,” Davis said, and the payoff came suddenly.
“I’ve done a lot of grinding to get myself out of a hole,” said the 29-year-old Davis, who earned $1.656 million from the $9.2 million prize fund. “I had a lot of support to get me out of the doldrums. I saw a little bit of a spark last week but nothing to show this. This is crazy.”
On the flip side, Bhatia and Min Woo Lee, who shared second place with Davis Thompson and Aaron Rai at 17-under 271, were left to wonder what might have been.
Bhatia, a 22-year-old American, was chasing his second victory of the season and seemed to be on cruise control coming in, having made 10 straight pars when he reached the final hole.
Facing a long downhill birdie putt, Bhatia left his first putt short and, despite seeing playing competitor Aaron Rai make a similar-length putt on the same line, Bhatia’s par putt only nicked the right edge of the hole. When it missed, Bhatia put his chin on the top of his putter as the shock settled in.
“I wouldn’t wish what happened to Akshay on anyone,” Davis said.
It was Bhatia’s first three-putt of the week and only his second bogey.
“It sucks; no other way to put it. I mean, just sucks,” said Bhatia, who won the Valero Texas Open in April.
Lee rushed into contention on the closing holes, playing a 10-hole stretch in 5-under until he reached the par-4 18th, where he flew his approach shot over the green and could not save par from the thick rough.
“I played really good,” said Lee, a 25-year-old Australian who has won three times on the DP World Tour and is the brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee, “but there are a lot of things I still need to work on to get to the next level.”
Ron Green Jr.