Akshay Bhatia has some work to do to make it to the PGA Tour
Akshay Bhatia made waves by playing the Valspar at 17 last season. Now, he is entering 2020 without status.
Already more successful than most 17-year-olds, Akshay Bhatia made the decision to forgo college and decided to turn pro. It looks like it might’ve been the wrong decision.
He played in four PGA Tour events so far, all of which were by way of sponsor exemption. The result was the same in all of them. He would miss the cut by three at the Valspar, three at Sanderson Farms, five at the Safeway Open, and five at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open.
It was on to the Korn Ferry Tour from there, where he hoped to make it to the required cutoff in hopes of earning his way onto the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour itself.
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Neither of those things would happen.
He was unable to make it to the final stage, missing the cut in the second stage by six strokes. This means that he has no current status going forward, and will have to look for sponsor exemptions to get into tournaments. The other way he can try and get into events is by entering into Monday Qualifying.
You have to wonder if he made the right choice by turning pro so early. Only 17, without a ton of competition against the big boys, and lacking the needed experience. No college education or preparation that so many golfers gain and learn by attending the next level of school.
He will continue to get into events via sponsor exemption, as people want to see the youngster, without question. Teenage golfers always draw the eyes of spectators and sponsors, and Akshay Bhatia is no different.
He has definitely had success and earned a bit of income already. He helped lead the U.S. to a win at the Walker Cup, as they defeated the opposition 15.5-10.5. He also has a deal with Callaway, so you can spot him sporting their clubs and bag. He has played with the Epic Flash most of the time.
Still young, there is plenty of time for him to get back into the swing of things (I promise, no pun intended), and get into events. As he continues to grow into his body, he could easily become a force of nature, as he already hits the ball well over 300 yards. We will see him at more events via sponsor exemptions, and there are plenty of chances for him to earn his card.
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I hope he is able to do it, following the path of those that have succeeded in turning pro early.