Akshay Bhatia eyes Presidents Cup spot as he competes at Wyndham Championship

As the PGA Tour descends upon Greensboro’s Sedgefield Country Club for the Wyndham Championship — albeit one day later due to Tropical Storm Debby — Akshay Bhatia is building his case.

The 22-year-old’s journey to this point has been well documented. He made his Tour debut at 17, skipping college golf to turn professional. Now, five years later, he’s ranked 27th in the world, with two PGA Tour victories under his belt, including one earlier this year at the Valero Texas Open. That victory earned him coveted spots at the Masters and the PGA Championship.

Now, Bhatia wants to add another line to his 2024 resume — a spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team. It’s a goal Bhatia set after his win in San Antonio in April.

“Playing for your country is really special,” Bhatia said at a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday. “Watching the Olympics is very, very inspiring and I hope to try and make my way towards that team.”

Bhatia is ranked 11th in the U.S. Team Presidents Cup standings. Three weeks remain before the top six players automatically qualify. Captain Jim Furyk will then select six additional team members.

August provides several opportunities for Bhatia to strengthen his case, starting with his performance at the Wyndham Championship this week.

“It’s been a lot of good,” Bhatia said of his 2024 season. “Obviously winning out here is very hard, and the way I did it being the last person to go to the Masters, it was all just such a fairy tale.”

Bhatia spoke with a smile and an air of confidence on Wednesday. But, in his last tournament in North Carolina, Bhatia tied for 16th at the U.S. Open. Afterwards, he couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment.

“There’s a bitter taste in my mouth from how I played,” he said outside the Pinehurst clubhouse in June.

Bhatia’s candidness after his best finish in a major highlights a key theme of his career: a relentless pursuit of excellence. He’s taken it up a notch this year, writing down all his goals — like playing all four majors — in his phone.

This mindset has helped him navigate the unforgiving world of professional golf and its razor-thin margin for error. The 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic in late June served as yet another reminder of the sport’s cruelty.

Bhatia was in contention throughout that tournament, but his hopes for a third PGA Tour win were dashed when he three-putted from 32 feet on the 18th hole. Bhatia finished one shot behind the winner, Cam Davis.

“Ideally, you know, I’d love to play less and just figure out how I can spend my time better in the off weeks,” Bhatia said on Wednesday, noting the demands of playing week in and week out. “It’s definitely a challenge, especially being out here — it’s my first full year. Just trying to understand when I peak and not being too tired.”

Finding that balance has been an ongoing process, and Bhatia has leaned on a growing support system to help him manage the rigors of the Tour.

Bhatia’s commitment to improvement has, of course, extended to his game itself — particularly his putting. Last fall, he made the bold move to a broomstick putter, a decision that has paid off handsomely.

The 22-year-old credits the uptick in the use of the broomstick in part to what Lucas Glover — the reigning champion at Wyndham — did in Greensboro last year.

“I’ve just really embraced that aspect of putting,” Bhatia said. “I feel like honestly my technique probably isn’t as good as it used to be, but I seem to make more putts.”

As he heads into the 2024 Wyndham Championship, Bhatia has recorded 10 top-25 finishes, positioning himself at No. 15 in the FedExCup standings. Now, he’s focused on continuing his upward trajectory and proving himself worthy of a Presidents Cup spot.

“I want to go play, I want to prove to myself it’s really right there and then I slowly build confidence,” he said. “Throughout the year I’ve had good putting, good iron play, everything, but it’s when those weeks all come together and you make a lot more putts is where you see the biggest difference in the leaderboard.”