Two-time PGA Tour winner Akshay Bhatia turned down an offer to join Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC in LIV Golf and chose to remain on the PGA Tour.

As the 23-year-old continues to make his mark on the PGA Tour, here are some key facts about Akshay Bhatia.

Akshay Bhatia’s Life before golf

Akshay Bhatia was born on January 31, 2002, in Northridge, California, to Sonny and Renu. Bhatia’s family moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina, in 2011, where they lived near a golf course. 

His father, Sonny Bhatia, regularly took him to the course, and watching his older sister, Rhea, who competed in college golf, led him to take up the sport. Bhatia skipped college and turned professional in 2019.

Akshay Bhatia’s Amateur and junior wins

During his amateur and junior career, Akshay Bhatia set course and championship records at the Boys Junior PGA Championship at age 15. 

Bhatia was runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur. He earned two silver medals at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in the boys’ individual event and the mixed team event with Lucy Li. 

Bhatia also represented the United States in the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup and the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup, and in 2019 he was selected for the U.S. Walker Cup team.

With his participation in the 2019 Walker Cup, Bhatia became the first high-school player to compete for the United States in the event.

Akshay Bhatia’s PGA Tour career

As an amateur, Akshay Bhatia made his PGA Tour debut at the 2019 Valspar Championship on a sponsor exemption and did not make the cut.

In July 2023, Bhatia earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Barracuda Championship after finishing regulation play tied with Patrick Rodgers at 40 points, leading to a sudden-death playoff on the 18th hole, where Bhatia secured the win with a par. 

The result gave him full PGA Tour status through the 2025 season and entry into events including the PGA Championship and The Players Championship.

Akshay Bhatia’s second PGA Tour win came at the 2024 Valero Texas Open, also decided in a playoff against Denny McCarthy. In the same season, his best finish in a major championship occurred at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, where he finished T-16. 

As of the 2025 season, he has four top-10 finishes, two PGA Tour wins, and is ranked 13th in the FedExCup Fall standings and 46th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

After earning two PGA Tour wins by age 23, Akshay Bhatia received an offer from Phil Mickelson to join HyFlyers GC in LIV Golf.

Bhatia declined and chose to remain on the PGA Tour. The approach toward Bhatia aligned with LIV Golf’s focus on recruiting younger PGA Tour players, but his decision came during a period when the league was still working through team and structure questions.

With full PGA Tour status secured, Bhatia continues competing through FedEx Cup events and major-championship qualification pathways, maintaining his position within the PGA Tour system.

Akshay Bhatia’s life beyond Swings

After winning the 2023 Barracuda Championship, Akshay Bhatia said verbatim: “She’s been through it all with me. You know, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I couldn’t imagine being on this journey without her by my side.”

Following that phase of their relationship, he fulfilled the commitment they had shared and got married to Presleigh Schultz at The Abaco Club in the Bahamas.

Bhatia first met Schultz before the 2021 Valero Texas Open after contacting her on Instagram. At that stage, she knew little about golf but later carried his bag as his caddie, including during his Korn Ferry Tour victory at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic.

Afterward, she handed off caddie duties but continued to support him at tournaments.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu