PGA Tour star Akshay Bhatia is one of the game’s most exciting young players and he’s been opening up about a range of things this week.
Bhatia has already recorded two wins on the PGA Tour, both via playoffs, and was the winner in a thrilling shootout with Denny McCarthy at this year’s Valero Texas Open.
The American is also taking part in the Wells Fargo this weekend and will be hoping to make a splash in the PGA Championship next weekend as well as he chases a first major.
Of course, the big major for a lot of golfers is winning The Masters. Coming out on top at Augusta is seen as the pinnacle for many and landing that green jacket is so enticing.
However, after coming a respectable enough tied 35th in this year’s Masters – his first ever – Bhatia has also experienced the tribulations of Augusta National. And it’s safe to say he found things tough.
Akshay Bhatia shares what makes Augusta National so hard in his eyes
Speaking to Smylie Kauffman on The Smylie Show podcast, Bhatia went into some detail about just how hard Augusta can be.
“Yeah, I think, I mean, Augusta is Augusta. It’s got just, there’s just never give up on that golf course. Even the par fives now, there’s still not many easy shots. You can leave yourself in some really tough spots. I think the golf course, the more experience you have and the more experience your caddy is, and understanding so many things about it, it just plays a big part of it,” Bhatia said.
“I think what’s really impressive was when Ludwig obviously finished in second in his first Masters or Jordan being in contention in his first Masters, even you being in contention is just unbelievable because like golf course changes so fast and the wind was, I mean, I’m a really good ball striker. I play really good in the wind. I mean, Valera blew 20-30, but it’s so consistent and there is just literally a guessing game. I mean, for the cut to be six or seven over, it just shows like we’re the best players in the world yet.
Six overs a cut and yeah, it’s just crazy. I mean, the greens got so firm, so fast and there’s just certain things about it that you’re like ‘how is this even possible?’.”
The Masters will always be the toughest test in golf
This year we saw the conditions play a massive part as well and it meant for some treacherous rounds for some of the world’s very best.
For Bhatia, playing in his first ever Masters, it couldn’t have been much more difficult and in all honesty, he’ll probably be happy with the 35th place he mustered.
Indeed, the conditions have been mentioned as something that need to work in Rory McIlroy’s favour if he is ever going to win it.
Bhatia will, of course, be back for more. But this sort of insight just one attempt in shows just how much Augusta can pull even the very best apart.
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