Pebble Beach (USA), Feb 16 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia, who held a two-shot lead heading into the final round, faltered with a closing 72 to finish tied-sixth, three shots behind the winner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament.

Bhatia, the 54-hole leader, struggled to maintain momentum, managing only two birdies over his final 29 holes. He lost the lead within the first four holes of the final round and was unable to recover on a day when swirling winds and mounting pressure reshaped the leaderboard.

Fellow Indian-American Sahith Theegala carded a 71 to finish tied-60th.

The spotlight, however, belonged to Collin Morikawa, who snapped a 28-month winless streak with a gritty performance in blustery conditions. Morikawa shot a 5-under 67 to finish at 22-under 266, clinching a one-shot victory over Sepp Straka and Min Woo Lee on Sunday.

The two-time major champion had gone 45 starts since his last victory at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan in October 2023. On Sunday, he delivered under immense pressure. After six players shared the lead at various stages in a dramatic final round, Morikawa seized control with back-to-back birdies, including a decisive 4-iron from 235 yards on the par-5 18th. Starting the ball over the ocean wall and riding the wind back toward the green, he calmly two-putted from the collar to secure the title.

Adding to the emotion of the moment, Morikawa revealed after the round that he and his wife are expecting their first child this spring.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler mounted a stunning charge. Beginning the day eight shots behind, Scheffler was 7-under through seven holes and finished with a remarkable 63 that included three eagles. His final eagle — a 6-iron to 30 inches on the 18th — briefly tied him for the lead. Ultimately, he finished one shot short, tied for fourth alongside Tommy Fleetwood (66), extending his streak to 18 consecutive PGA TOUR top-10 finishes.

The tension was palpable on the closing hole as Morikawa endured a 20-minute wait between shots after Jacob Bridgeman’s approach from a sandy area near the beach ended up in the ocean. Despite the delay and the fierce Pacific winds, Morikawa remained composed.

Lee’s closing 65, featuring birdies on the final two holes, and a late bogey by Morikawa on the par-3 17th ensured a nerve-wracking finish. But Morikawa’s poise in the closing stretch proved decisive, marking a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle at one of the PGA TOUR’s signature events.

–IANS

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