Akshay Bhatia is a relatively new professional golfer, turning professional in 2019 and joining the PGA Tour in 2023. In almost a year, he has already won two PGA Tour events, the 2023 Barracuda Championship and the 2024 Valero Texas Open. His Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) stand at No. 33 as of May 2024.
He was born on January 31, 2002, in Northridge, California, but was raised in Santa Clarita. He had 11 amateur wins, including the 2018 Rolex Tournament of Champions and the 2019 Jones Cup Invitational. He also finished runner-up in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.
2019's Sanderson Farms Championship marked Bhatia's professional debut, but he didn't join the PGA Tour then. He had a few local professional wins first, at the Swing Thought Tour and GProTour events. Bhatia made his Korn Ferry Tour debut in early 2022, and after his 2023 Puerto Rico Open's runner-up finish, he earned his temporary membership on the PGA Tour.
His first PGA Tour win was at the 2023 Barracuda Championship, the event was co-sanctioned by the European Tour, and he defeated Patrick Rodegrs in a playoff with par on the first extra hole.
Bhatia's second PGA tour and sixth professional win came at the 2024 Valero Texas Open, a more than 100-year-old event, where he won over Denny McCarthy in a playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole. He also finished tied for 35th place at the 2024 Masters Tournament.
Who are Akshay Bhatia’s parents?
Akshay Bhatia’s parents are Sunil “Sonny” and Renu Bhatia. Both of them have origins in India; however, they first met in Northridge, Los Angeles, California, and eventually got married. Born in Northridge, Akshay spent his early years growing up in Santa Clarita. To support his and his older sister Rhea's golfing ambitions, the family later moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Who is Akshay Bhatia’s mother?
Renu Bhatia, the mother of Akshay Bhatia, was employed at a cruise liner ticketing agency along with running a golf catering business. Renu Bhatia is originally from Hyderabad, Telangana, India. She further mentioned that on certain days, they would spend almost 13 hours a day with Akshay Bhatia, who would play two rounds of golf.
Who is Akshay Bhatia’s father?
Born in London, Sunil "Sonny" Bhatia is the father of Akshay Bhatia, but he originally hails from New Delhi, India. He was in the real estate business. Before receiving his first set of golf clubs at the age of ten, Akshay Bhatia used to frequently go to Wakefield Golf Club with his father. Akshay Bhatia is currently an honorary member of the club.
Sunil recalls that once, at one in the morning, his kid woke him up and asked him how he could become the world's greatest golfer, to which he replied that if he's the first person to go into the club and the last one to leave, he would be a better player and a better person.
Who are Akshay Bhatia’s siblings?
Akshay Bhatia has an elder sister, Rhea. She also plays golf and graduated from Queen University in Charlotte, where she played collegiate golf too. However, no further information is available about her.
Who is Akshay Bhatia’s girlfriend?
Bhatia's finance is Presleigh Schultz, an entrepreneur and influencer with more than 80,000 TikTok followers and nearly 30,000 Instagram followers. Through his Instagram account, Bhatia announced his engagement to Presleigh Schultz on September 9, 2023. He captioned a few pictures of himself proposing to Schultz with a ring, saying, "Here's to forever."
Schultz currently resides in California. However, no further information is available about her personal life.
Schultz and Bhatia met for the first time in 2019 when they were both 17 years old. They started dating shortly after she replied to his direct message on Instagram, and they eventually fell in love. Since then, they have remained close and supportive of one another's careers.
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