DETROIT: Australia's Cam Davis rid many of his recent frustrations during the Rocket Mortgage Classic, becoming a champion again because of another golfer's misery.
Davis shot a final-round 2-under-par 70 and won the tournament when Akshay Bhatia three-putted on the final hole Sunday in Detroit.
"From where I was a couple of weeks ago to today," Davis said, shaking his head in astonishment, "just completely different person."
Until this tournament, Davis produced only four top-25 finishes this year, and none ended with him in the top 10 until yesterday (June 30). He hadn't finished better than tied for 38th place since the Masters more than 2 1/2 months ago.
"I've done a lot of grinding to try to get myself out of a hole," Davis said. .".. I've got so many people behind me that help me along the way. ... I had a lot of support to kind of get me out of the doldrums there."
Davis, who had back-to-back 66s in the two previous rounds, was warming up for a potential playoff when he became a winner on the PGA Tour for the second time. His other victory came in this tournament three years ago, when he needed a playoff.
Davis had birdied the 17th hole to pull even with Bhatia and had to wait to learn his fate. He finished at 18-under 270 at Detroit Golf Club's North Course, where low scores were difficult to come by Sunday after several days of more ideal scoring conditions.
Bhatia, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, shot 72. He tied with Davis Thompson (68), Australia's Min Woo Lee (69) and England's Aaron Rai (72) at 17 under.
"I know how to close a golf tournament," Bhatia said. "I've done it before."
On the last hole, Bhatia's par putt from 4 feet, 3 inches slid off to the right, marking the only time in the tournament he needed more than two putts to complete a hole. This followed a woefully short putt on a birdie attempt.
"Just a little bit of nerves," he said.
Rai, who was in the final pairing with Bhatia, had a chance to join the leaders on the last hole, but he was hurt by pushing his drive into the rough. His next shot ended up in the greenside bunker and he wound up with par.
Bhatia endured his first bogey of the tournament with a 5 on the par-4 third hole. He rolled in a 32-foot birdie putt on the next hole.
Later, Bhatia's mishit off the 13th tee into the trees resulted in a 97-yard drive, but he saved par with a 4.
Bhatia, a 22-year-old from North Carolina, was aiming to win for the second time this year and the third time in his career. Instead, he recorded his second top-five finish of 2024.
Lee chipped in from the fringe for a birdie on the 15th as part of three birdies in four holes that lifted him into a share of the lead. But he bogeyed No. 18, and will regret the double-bogey 7 he made on the seventh hole.
Rai was the co-leader with Bhatia after both the second and third rounds, but he faded in pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour after briefly holding the solo lead.
Rai, who had been so flawless most of the tournament, ended up with three bogeys in a six-hole stretch, so he went to the 12th hole looking to just stay in contention.
"Overall a good week," Rai said. "Obviously being in the position that we were in today, there was a great chance to maybe do a little bit more. Got off to a really good start today. Just, yeah, a few too many loose shots and just didn't really keep the round going as well as what I could have and as well as the last three days. That part was a little bit disappointing for sure."
Rico Hoey of the Philippines (67) joined Eric Cole (69), Cameron Young (73) and South Africa's Erik van Rooyen (72) in a sixth-place tie at 15 under.