Daniel Berger’s lead is down to one entering the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Berger returned to Bay Hill Club and Lodge Sunday morning, following a suspension of play Saturday evening, and played his final three holes in even par, making bogey at the par-4 18th. Playing competitor Akshay Bhatia turned that into a two-shot swing, making birdie at the last.
Berger (72) stands at 13 under par, Bhatia (68) at 12 under. Sepp Straka (66), Cameron Young (67) and Collin Morikawa (70) are tied for third at minus-9.
It was a welcome return to the course for Berger. He faced a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th when he stopped Saturday because of darkness (an afternoon rain delay led to the ultimate suspension).
Bhatia, prior to the suspension, got up and down from a greenside bunker at the 16th to get within two of Berger, but the lead was again stretched to three when the latter successfully navigated his dew-sweeping two-putt. After both men parred the par-3 17th, the final swing came at Bay Hill’s signature hole.
Berger’s tee shot went into the right rough, from where he hacked out to 100 yards. He hit wedge to 10 feet but couldn’t convert the save. Meanwhile, Bhatia split the fairway, hit his approach to 15 feet and barely got his birdie putt to fall, the ball hanging on the lip for nearly 10 seconds before it dropped.
Give it a second... 👀
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 8, 2026
Akshay Bhatia's birdie putt drops after a moment on the edge to conclude the third round this morning.
He heads into the afternoon one shot back of leader Daniel Berger @APInv. pic.twitter.com/GTNqFcEUYL
The oft-injured Berger, who has led this $20 million signature event since opening in 63, is seeking his first PGA Tour win since the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Bhatia has a pair of top-10 finishes this season and was in position to win at Pebble, but a closing 72 left him T-6.
The final twosome will go off in Sunday’s final round at 1:50 p.m. ET.