Akshay Bhatia: Player Profile
Who is Akshay Bhatia?
Akshay Bhatia is one of the up-and-coming talents on the PGA Tour, with two wins to his name by the age of just 22.
Bhatia was born in January 2002 in California, before moving to North Carolina. He grew up playing the sport thanks to his older sister, who played from a young age. Unlike most, he did not go to college, instead turning professional at just 17 years of age. It would only take the American a couple of years to secure a PGA Tour card.
After wins on smaller tours, including winning on his Korn Ferry Tour debut in January 2022, Bhatia secured his first PGA Tour victory in the summer of 2023. He won the Barracuda Championship – which is scored by modified stableford – before then winning the Valero Texas Open in April 2024 to give himself a spot in the Masters Tournament just four days later.
Walker has represented his country in plenty of tournaments during his younger years, including appearances in the Junior Presidents Cup, Junior Ryder Cup and the Walker Cup, along with being a double medallist at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018.
Akshay Bhatia | An Overview
Personal Information
Name: Akshay Bhatia
Born: January 31, 2002
Nationality: United States
Residence: Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States
Career
Turned Pro: 2019
Professional Wins: 6
Highest World Ranking: 34 – April 7, 2024
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – T35 (2024)
– PGA Championship – DNP
– US Open – T57 (2021)
– Open Championship – DNP
Professional Wins – 6
2020 (1) – ST 11 @ Old South Golf
2021 (2) – ST 12 @ Brunswick, Biggs Classic
2022 (1) – The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic
2023 (1) – Barracuda Championship
2024 (1) – Valero Texas Open
Achievements and Awards
Youth Olympic Games Boys Individual Silver Medal – 2018
Youth Olympic Games Mixed Team Silver Medal – 2018
Akshay Bhatia | What’s In His Bag?
Bhatia is a Callaway staff player, and his bag is filled top-to-toe with their clubs. He plays the Rogue ST driver with a Paradym Ai Smoke Max 3-wood. An Apex hybrid is joined by Apex irons, with Bhatia using a trio of Jaws Raw wedges. An Odyssey Jailbird putter is teamed with the Callaway Chrome Soft ball.
You can read our full piece on what is in Bhatia’s bag here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Akshay Bhatia
When and where was Akshay Bhatia born?
Akshay Bhatia was born in January 2002 in Northridge, California, and took up the game at a young age thanks to his older sister, who started playing at a young age.
When did Akshay Bhatia turn professional?
Unlike most Americans, Bhatia did not attend college. Instead, he turned professional at the age of 17. He did so in 2019, following his appearance in the Walker Cup. He also played in the Junior Presidents Cup and Junior Ryder Cup during his teenage years.
How many professional titles has Akshay Bhatia won?
As of April 2024, Akshay Bhatia is a six-time winner as a professional, with two of those coming on the PGA Tour. His biggest win is also his most recent, with Bhatia winning the Valero Texas Open in a playoff.
Who is Akshay Bhatia dating?
Akshay Bhatia is in a relationship with Presleigh Schultz. The pair are engaged, with Bhatia popping the question in 2023. Schultz apparently knew nothing about golf when they first met, but she now follows her fiancee to every event he plays in.
Did you Know?
Playoff Perfection
Bhatia has two wins on the PGA Tour – at the 2023 Barracuda Championship and the 2024 Valero Texas Open – and both of those have come in playoffs. He has not lost a playoff during his fledgling PGA Tour career, giving him a 100% record in extra time.
From Drive, Chip and Putt to Masters Players
In 2024, Bhatia made Augusta National history. Thanks to his victory at the Valero Texas Open just four days prior to the tournament, the American made his debut at the Masters Tournament. In doing so, he became the first player to have competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt Finals to then play in the Masters.
Other Akshay Bhatia Articles
Akshay Bhatia bids to beat bizarre injury ahead of Masters debut
From boy to man! Akshay Bhatia makes history by booking Masters spot
What do you make of Akshay Bhatia so far? Can he go on to challenge for major titles? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
