Akshay Bhatia

Akshay Bhatia's Early Life and Background

Professional golfer Akshay Bhatia was born on January 31, 2002, in Northridge, California. He attained his high school education at Penn Foster High School, though, by the age of 14, he shifted his focus to golf and completed the rest of his education via homeschooling.

Akshay Bhatia's Amateur Golf Career

In his amateur career, Bhatia placed second in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2018. At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, he placed second in both the mixed team and the boy's events, alongside Lucy Li. In both 2017 and 2018, he participated in winning the Junior Presidents Cup and Junior Ryder Cup teams, respectively.

On a sponsorship exemption, Bhatia played in the 2019 Valspar Championship for the first time on the PGA Tour, though he was unable to make the cut. In April 2019, Bhatia made his Web.com Tour debut at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship, where he finished T42.

Further, his amateur wins are as follows:

• 2016 AJGA - CJGT Junior at Yorba Linda

• 2016 IZOD AJGA Championship

• 2017 Davis Love III Junior Open

• 2017 Junior PGA Championship

• 2017 AJGA Junior at Ford's Colony

• 2018 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley

• 2018 Polo Golf Junior Classic

• 2018 Boy's Junior PGA Championship

• 2018 Rolex Tournament of Champions

• 2019 Jones Cup Invitational, Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship

Akshay Bhatia's Professional Career

Following his participation in the 2019 Walker Cup, Bhatia made his professional debut at the Sanderson Farms Championship in September 2019.

Bhatia won the Swing Thought Tour event, ST 11 at Old South Golf, by three strokes in August 2020, followed by a playoff victory at ST 12 at Brunswick, his second Swing Thought Tour event, in February 2021. His third professional win was at the 2021 Briggs Classic, a GProTour event.

Bhatia earned a spot in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June 2021, his first major championship debut, where he finished tied for 57th. This is his only major performance as of February 2024, and his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is No. 95.

Bhatia made his Korn Ferry Tour debut in early 2022, with his win at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in January 2022. He had a great start, but he was unable to secure a spot on the PGA Tour after placing 30th in the regular season and missing the cut in the final round.

Bhatia finished second at the 2023 Puerto Rico Open, earning him Special Temporary Member status on the PGA Tour. He achieved his first victory on the PGA Tour and the European Tour in July 2023 after emerging victorious in a playoff at the Barracuda Championship.

Following Barracuda, he competed in eight events but missed the cut in two; among them, his best performance came at the World Wide Technology Championship, when he finished T10 with a score of 269 and under 19. Bhatia finished the RSM Classic T38, capping off his 2023 season.

Bhatia had a promising start to the 2024 season, finishing in the top 20 three times, but missing the cut twice. His most recent tournament was the Farmers Insurance Open, where he finished T13 with a score of 280, under 8.

Akshay Bhatia's Playing Style

Bhatia is one of only a handful of PGA Tour players who play golf left-handed. His playing style is versatile and accurate, with a focus on control and forgiveness. Bhatia's peculiar left-handed playing technique distinguishes him from his right-handed teammates, allowing him to approach the game strategically.

Akshay Bhatia's Caddie

Bhatia’s 2024 caddie is Brian Dilley. Before him, the left-handed Bhatia even had his girlfriend, Presleigh Schultz, on the bag, even though she acknowledged she had no golf experience when they first met more than two years ago.

However, after respected bagman Dilley took over last year, Schultz, who has remained by Bhatia's side since the 2021 Valero Texas Open, supported him from outside of the course.

Longtime caddie Dilley has worked with several players on the PGA and LPGA Tours, notably Suzann Pettersen and Gerina Piller. Most of his achievements have come on the LPGA and LET Tours.

During some of Pettersen's most successful seasons, Dilley was her looper. He participated in five global victories in 2013, which included Pettersen's second Major, the Evian Championship. He also collaborated with Billy Horschel for a while, but the two parted ways in 2021 before Horschel started working with Mark Fulcher.

But after the two had success in the previous season—Bhatia winning the Barracuda Championship in July 2023 and earning $684,000 in prize money by the end of the year—Dilley seemed to have already established a solid relationship with Bhatia.

Schultz is Bhatia's primary supporter these days, even though she no longer caddies for the rising star. She travels with her partner and walks in every tournament he plays.

Akshay Bhatia's Golf Journey

Over his golf career, Bhatia has excelled in the amateur ranks, with major wins at the 2018 Youth Olympics and U.S. Junior Amateur in particular. In 2019, he made his Web.com Tour (Korn Ferry) debut by competing in events such as the Valspar Championship and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship.

Bhatia's breakthrough came in 2021 when he won the GProTour and the Swing Thought Tour. He triumphed at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, extending his winning streak. Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship in 2023, his first victory on the PGA and European Tours.

Akshay Bhatia's Achievements

Since Bhatia joined the PGA Tour in 2023, his achievements on the tour are not much, but still worth mentioning. He played in 49 events and made the cut in 26 of them, with only the 2023 Barracuda Championship win. He also has one second-place finish, three top-5 finishes and six top-10 finishes. However, outside of the PGA Tour, he had four other professional victories from the Korn Ferry Tour, Swing Thought Tour, and GProTour.

Akshay Bhatia's Majors

Akshay Bhatia's Awards and Honors

Akshay Bhatia has yet to win any awards or honors.

Akshay Bhatia's Net Worth

The net worth of Bhatia is estimated to be $1 million as of February 2024. According to Spotrac, Bhatia's total career earnings are approximately $3.2 million. He has already earned $629,921 in the 2024 season, with half of that coming from the Sentry, where he finished T14 for $320,250.

In the 2023 season, he earned $2.3 million, including $684,000 from his Barracuda Championship win. His other notable earnings came at the Puerto Rico Open, where he finished second with a score of 269 under 19, losing to Nicolas Echavarria and earning $414,200.

Akshay Bhatia's Ventures

Bhatia has endorsement deals with AI Smoke, Callaway, and Odyssey; however, his earnings from such deals are not yet known.

Akshay Bhatia's Assets

Bhatia resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States. However, his exact address or the valuation of his house is not available.

Akshay Bhatia's Family

Bhatia's parents, Sonny and Renu, have been significant factors in their son's golf success, as they were the ones who introduced golf to him. He also has a sister, Rhea, who is a golfer herself and she attended the University of Charlotte, Queens. During the initial days of Akshay, his parents were used to traveling as his staunch supporters.

In his interview, Bhatia scarcely mentioned his parents. On the other hand, several accounts state that Renu and Sonny were introduced to Northridge and eventually got married. They are Indian immigrants.

His parents helped and supported him along the way, and were a major factor in his improvement as a golfer. Sonny, his father, likes to play golf on the weekends, and along with Renu, they introduced golf to Bhatia.

Akshay Bhatia's Girlfriend

Bhatia is in a relationship with Presleigh Schultz, a businesswoman and influencer with over 1.8 million TikTok likes and close to 30,000 Instagram followers. There is no information about her date of birth, but it would be safe to assume that she is 22 years old, the same as Bhatia. Also, she was born in California, where she currently resides.

There is no information available about her upbringing, parents, or education; apparently, Schultz is very secretive about her personal life, even if she is well-known on social media.

In 2019, at the age of 17, Schultz and Bhatia had their first encounter. It began when she replied to his direct message on Instagram, and they began dating soon after and finally fell in love. They have been close and supportive of each other's professions ever since. Schultz frequently goes to Bhatia's golf tournaments with him and joins in on his victories.

On September 9, 2023, Akshay Bhatia announced his engagement to his girlfriend Presleigh Schultz, through his Instagram account. Posting a few photos of himself popping the question to Schultz with a ring, he captioned, "Here's to forever."

Akshay Bhatia's Cars

There is no information available about any cars owned by Akshay Bhatia.