Akshay Bhatia\u2019s trip halfway across the world didn\u2019t go as he planned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The recent Arnold Palmer Invitational champion<\/a>, in preparation for the Masters, decided to play the DP World Tour\u2019s Hero Indian Open in Delhi, where his parents are from (he is also a brand ambassador for Hero).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTo come here, inspire people and to play in front of people that look up to me is really cool. I\u2019m very blessed to be in this position,\u201d Bhatia said ahead of the tournament.<\/p>\n And though he was the betting favorite, the tournament got away from him in a flash.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Bhatia\u2019s opening hole in Round 1, DLF Country Club\u2019s par-4 10th, he hit a wayward tee shot out of bounds en route to a double bogey. Then, the 24-year-old carded consecutive bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t the worst of his round, though. On the par-5 15th, he hit the wrong ball on his second shot, finding his ball shortly after. He would notify a rules official, be docked two strokes, and ultimately card a triple bogey.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u274c Out of bounds on the first hole Three birdies on the back-nine puts Akshay Bhatia in good spirits despite having a challenging start to his DLF Golf & Country\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/mwCotfqRDt<\/a><\/p>\n
\ud83d\ude21 Hit the wrong ball
\ud83d\ude23 Triple-bogey on the 15th
\ud83d\udcca Eight over on the front-nine
\ud83d\ude03 Three under on the back-nine<\/p>\n