"That's going to drive me nuts" - Akshay Bhatia seeks 'a little more peace' on course after underwhelming season

Akshay Bhatia has shared that he is tired of thinking about the FedEx Cup, OWGR, and other things and just wants peace while playing. He added that he decided to be less hard on himself because this game can be all-consuming.

On Thursday, August 7, Bhatia fired an 8-under 62 in the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. With the help of this career-best round, he took the first-day lead over Tommy Fleetwood.

During his post-round interview, Bhatia spoke about his recent mindset change after his struggles this season.

"I haven't done a great job," he said. "I've been looking at a lot of numbers that I don't need to look at, obviously FedExCup, world ranking, and I'm still doing it, and I still catch myself doing it. But I'm just really trying to have a little more peace on the golf course"

"I think this game can consume your life, your happiness, and so I'm just trying to figure out ways to change that because I feel like I don't really want to live my life based off of an unstable game. That's going to drive me nuts. This whole year it has, so I'm just trying to be just a little more at ease with whatever I shoot."

Akshay Bhatia added that some days were easier, but it was still a hard thing to do. He said that he succeeded at the 3M Open in the first three days but was back to his old self on Sunday.

"It's hard because I want to perform the way I know I can, and this year again hasn't been the easiest. But I'm just trying to enjoy what I have and be grateful for what I get to do for a living," he added.

When will Akshay Bhatia tee off at the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2025, Round 2?

Akshay Bhatia is paired alongside Harry Hall for the second round of the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship. The duo will tee off on Friday, August 8, at 10:50 a.m. CDT from the first tee.

Bhatia is playing his 22nd event this week and has had mixed results so far. He has made 15 cuts in 21 starts and has posted three top-ten finishes. However, his last top-ten finish was at the Players Championship, where he made a season-best T3 finish.

Since April, Akshay Bhatia has had just three top-25 finishes and missed four cuts. However, he managed to finish 45th in the FedEx Cup standings and qualify for the playoffs.

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti