{"id":32296,"date":"2023-08-01T07:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T01:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=32296"},"modified":"2023-07-31T15:45:56","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T10:15:56","slug":"indian-american-golfer-akshay-bhatia-is-creating-waves-in-the-international-circuit","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/indian-american-golfer-akshay-bhatia-is-creating-waves-in-the-international-circuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian American golfer, Akshay Bhatia, is creating waves in the international circuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

(August 1, 2023)<\/strong> Imagine being one of the best amateur golfers in the United States of America, dreaming to become a professional player and winning several tournaments for the country in the coming years. However, when the opportunity came, you couldn’t perform up to your potential. 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia was quite heartbroken when he couldn’t cut in any of the six PGA Tour starts in September 2019. “I struggled mentally, I missed every cut,” the golfer recalled, “I had a lot of people expecting me to play well and it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Golfer

But while several others would have lost hope, Akshay dug in further and worked very hard on honing his skill further. The golfer, who acknowledged that he faced challenges upon turning pro, took the pandemic as an opportunity to pause, re-evaluate, and gain valuable insights. \u201cI got to sit back, talk to my coach, realise where I\u2019m at in my life. After that, you know, I\u2019ve just climbed the mountain slowly and slowly and slowly,” he shared. And he might have just made a significant stride by winning his maiden PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship in California, defeating Patrick Rodgers. The win will earn the Indian American golfer earned him full Tour status and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs.<\/p>\n

Inspired to greatness<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Born in Northridge, California to an Indian couple, Akshay’s childhood was not unlike other immigrant kids in the USA. However, his life was shaped due to his sister’s passion for the sport. As a young child, the golfer witnessed his elder sister, Rhea Bhatia, swinging a golf club for the first time. In the following years, Rhea’s dedication to the sport paid off, as she achieved the title of 2015 4A Regional Champion during her high school days. Notably, she continued her golfing journey as a valued member of the women’s team at Queen’s University of Charlotte.<\/p>\n

Soon the young golfer started playing the sport and found it quite immersing. Having a remarkable junior career, the Global Indian achieved the distinction of being the first high-schooler ever to participate in the U.S. Walker Cup team. Coached by George Gankas since he was 13, Bhatia kept on piling up amateur victories till he began getting noticed. In 2017, the golfer caught the nation’s attention when he contributed to the victorious team in the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup. Remarkably, at the age of 15, Bhatia made his mark at the Boys Junior PGA Championship by setting multiple records. According to the JuniorPGA website, the golfer, “carded an all-time course and championship record 61, at the 42nd Boys Junior PGA Championship at the Country Club of St. Albans in Missouri.”<\/p>\n