Watch Akshay Bhatia make an ace that is HUGE for his FedEx Cup Playoffs prospects

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This was not your usual hole-in-one. Not by a long shot.

Akshay Bhatia arrived at the 17th hole at Caves Valley during round three at two-over for the BMW Championship and needing better play over the rest of the weekend to reach the top 30 in the FedEx Cup who make next week’s highly lucrative playoff finale at the Tour Championship.

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Bhatia had already pulled off one great shot for the round, holing out from the fairway for eagle with a sand wedge at the par-4 seventh.

The 17th is a brute, playing 196 metres (214 yards) in the third round, according to Bhatia, and not one that anyone would expect to ace. Bhatia pulled a 5-iron and his ball tracked the flag the entire way.

“I told myself just don’t be afraid to hit it, execute it, because it’s easy to bail out there. When that golf ball goes in, it was the craziest thing in the world. My caddie was pointing at the car and I’m like, Don’t even know what to do. I couldn’t even feel my body.

“Still even going to 18 tee was pretty nuts how much adrenaline I had.”

The ace, Bhatia’s first on the PGA Tour to go along with five he’d previously made elsewhere, and his subsequent score of 66 pushed him into a tie for 22nd in the BMW when he finished, and he’s currently inside the projected top 30 on the points list at No.29. His bid for the Tour Championship is far from over, of course, with the final round still to play.

“Every shot counts,” Bhatia said. “I don’t want to just shrug it in and not make it to the finish line. I want to try everything I can.”

There is this little detail to the ace: Bhatia won a BMW car, though he said he’s happy with his current vehicle and might give it to his caddie or donate it. He also will have an Evans Scholarship for aspiring caddies created in his name.

Not your average ace, indeed.