Golf Fan Posts Video Accusing Akshay Bhatia of Illegal Anchoring During Arnold Palmer Invitational Victory
American professional golfer Akshay Bhatia has found himself at the center of a controversy after a fan accused him of anchoring his putt during the critical playoff hole at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational. The fan, who goes by the username Lord BLT on social media, shared a video clip showing Bhatia's putting stroke from the playoff, which he won to defeat Daniel Berger and claim the PGA Tour event title.
Fan's Allegation and Social Media Backlash
In the caption accompanying the video, Lord BLT wrote, "He also cheated. But who cares? He won." This sparked immediate debate among golf enthusiasts, with some spectators echoing the cheating accusation while others rushed to Bhatia's defense. One fan countered, "His thumb is blocking, so it’s not officially anchoring." The video quickly went viral, drawing attention to the technicalities of golf's rules regarding club anchoring.
Understanding Golf's Anchoring Rule and Potential Penalties
In professional golf, anchoring the club is strictly prohibited under Rule 14-1b of the official regulations. The rule explicitly states that a player must not anchor the club either "directly" or by creating an "anchor point." According to the rulebook:
- The club is anchored "directly" when the player intentionally holds the club or gripping hand in contact with any part of the body, except against a hand or forearm.
- An "anchor point" exists when a player intentionally holds a forearm against the body to establish a stable point for swinging the club.
Violating this rule can result in severe penalties: a two-stroke penalty in stroke play format, or loss of the hole in match play format. The allegations against Bhatia therefore carry significant competitive implications, though no official penalty was assessed during the tournament.
Akshay Bhatia's Response and Tournament Performance
Following his victory, Bhatia was questioned during the post-round press conference about his use of a long putter, which has been part of his equipment for some time. He explained, "I've been doing the same thing for a long time. And the funny thing is, this week I felt like Joe, and I do this drill where I throw a Chapstick around and do Aimpoint stuff and try to guess the percentage of slope. I was really dialed in on Tuesday."
He elaborated on his putting strategy, saying, "I think I just have more awareness of what it takes out here to make putts. Because I struggled with that last year. My putter slides on these greens, and so I think I figured that out. Figured out a lot of things this week with my coach on just how to attack the golf course. And my speed was great. I had a couple of 3-pointers, but that's going to happen here."
Tournament Recap and Victory Details
Akshay Bhatia's path to victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was marked by consistent performance across all four rounds:
- Opened with a round score of 70
- Added a second round of 66
- Followed with third and fourth rounds of 68 and 69 respectively
After the final round, he moved up one position on the leaderboard to tie for the lead with Daniel Berger at 15 under par. The tournament culminated in a playoff where Bhatia secured the title by making par on the extra hole. For his victory, he received $4 million in prize money along with 700 FedEx Cup points, solidifying his position in the PGA Tour standings.
The controversy surrounding the anchoring allegation adds an unexpected dimension to what was otherwise a triumphant performance for the young American golfer, raising questions about technique interpretation that will likely continue to be debated among fans and analysts alike.
