Akshay Bhatia: ‘Awkward’ TPC Sawgrass could suit my game | Live From The Players | Golf Channel

Akshay Bhatia reflects on his whirlwind journey to his first appearance at The Players and discusses his first impressions of TPC Sawgrass. #GolfChannel #LiveFromThePlayers #AkshayBhatia
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Akshay Bhatia: ‘Awkward’ TPC Sawgrass could suit my game | Live From The Players | Golf Channel
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WHO WENT RIGHT FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO TURN PROFESSIONAL GOLF, AND HE HAS A VICTORY COMING AT THE BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR. OUR STEVE BURKOWSKI IS WITH THE YOUNG NORTH CAROLINIAN. >> ALONGSIDE THE 22-YEAR-OLD AKSHAY BHATIA WHO TURNED PROFESSIONAL AT 17, FIVE YEARS

LATER MAKING YOUR DEBUT HERE AT THE PLAYERS, HOW HAVE YOU DEALT WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT THIS GAME PRESENTS ITSELF TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW? >> I MEAN I THINK THAT’S KIND OF THE NAME OF THE GAME, RIGHT. THERE’S SO MANY HIGHS, SO MANY

LOWS, AND WHEN I FIRST TURNED PRO IT WAS A DIFFERENT FEELING. I MISSED EVERY CUT I GOT OUT HERE WHEN I FIRST TURNED PRO, AND THEN FINALLY MADE MY FIRST CUT AND STARTED HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF SUCCESS OUT HERE, BUT IT

STILL WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO GET MY CARD. AND THEN, YEAH, IT’S BEEN CRAZY, THOUGH. FIVE YEARS HAS GONE BY SO FAST, AND TO BE HERE AT MY FIRST PLAYERS IS PRETTY SURREAL. I JUST REMEMBER PLAYING THE JUNIOR PLAYERS SIX YEARS AGO RIGHT BEFORE I TURNED PRO.

BUT IT’S REALLY AWESOME, AND I’M EXCITED FOR THE WEEK. >> WHAT DID YOU LEARN DURING THE EARLY WEEKS, MONTHS AND YEARS THAT MADE YOU QUESTION DID I TURN PROFESSIONAL AT THE RIGHT TIME? >> I NEVER REALLY QUESTIONED MYSELF. BUT IT WAS MORE SO LIKE, YOU

KNOW, WHAT AM I GOING TO GET INTO? IN KORN FERRY TOUR AT THE TIME DURING COVID WE DIDN’T HAVE Q SCHOOL, IT WAS ALL MONEY QUALIFIERS WHICH ARE THE HARDEST TO GET THROUGH, I JUST KNEW IT WAS A MATTER OF TIME.

WHEN I WON ON THE KORN FERRY TOUR I STARTED TO WIN AGAIN AT EVERY OTHER LEVEL, MINI TOURS TO KORN FERRY TOUR AND EVENTUALLY GETTING MY FIRST PGA TOUR WIN, IT JUST KIND OF ALL ALIGNED. THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE — THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE DOWNS

IN THIS GAME, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BAD IT GETS. THERE’S ALWAYS UPSIDE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I’M JUST STILL TRYING TO LEARN THAT FROM MY OUTSIDE LIFE, NOT LETTING GOLF DEFINE WHO I AM. IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF A STRUGGLE

AT MY AGE AND WHERE I WANT TO BE AND HOW BAD I WANT CERTAIN THINGS. IT’S ALL LEARNING. >> WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS GAME MOVING FORWARD IN THE COMING YEARS? >> I MEAN, I WANT TO BE THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD.

I’VE SAID THAT SINCE I WAS A KID, AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER AND KIND OF THE PEDESTAL HE’S ON AND EVERYONE WANTS TO BE LIKE HIM, YOU KNOW. HE HITS IT AMAZING AND PUTTED GREAT LAST WEEK, AND YOU WANT

GOLF TO FEEL A LITTLE EASIER TOO. WHEN YOU’RE THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD YOU’RE DOING BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. I WANT TO WIN MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AND CONTEND AND DO EVERYTHING I’VE DREAMED ABOUT SINCE I WAS A KID. >> WHAT’S THE BACKGROUND STORY

WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNGER KID WAKING YOUR DAD UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SAYING, HOW DO I BECOME THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD? WHAT DID HE TELL YOU WHEN YOU GOT HIM OUT OF BED? >> IT WAS AROUND MIDNIGHT AND I

DON’T REMEMBER IT TOO MUCH, BUT IN A WAY I DO, AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER JUST GOING THERE AND IT WAS DARK OUT, HE WAS SLEEPING, AND HE’S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WAKING ME UP RIGHT NOW? I PROBABLY HAD SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY.

BUT IT’S JUST GOLF IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND, ALWAYS LIKE THAT AS A KID, AND I DON’T KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I JUST DECIDED TO GO ASK HIM. HE TOLD ME YOU GOT TO BE THE FIRST PLAYER THERE AND THE LAST ONE TO LEAVE.

THAT WORKED FOR SUCH A LONG TIME FOR ME BEING AT THE GOLF COURSE, AND AND, YOU KNOW, IF I GOT THAT DONE, I FELT LIKE I DID MY WORK AS A KID. I ENJOYED BEING OUT THERE. IT’S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT NOW. >> WHAT IS THE SUPPORT OF YOUR

PARENTS THROUGH ALL THIS JOURNEY MEANT TO YOU? >> IT’S GREAT. WE SPEND A VERY, VERY LONG ROAD, A VERY, YOU KNOW, LOT OF UNKNOWNS STARTING OUT, BUT THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE. THEY’LL DO WHATEVER FOR ME. THEY’RE HERE THIS WEEK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE THEY’VE BEEN OUT.

I’M EXCITED. WE HAVEN’T BEEN HERE IN SUCH A LONG TIME, AND TO BE HERE AS A FAMILY, WE HAVE OUR DOGS HERE, MY FIANCEE IS HERE, IT’S COOL TO HAVE ALL THE SUPPORT THIS WEEK. >> YOU RENCHTSDS WIN ON THE KORN FERRY TOUR, HOW DID THAT

VALIDATE EVERYTHING YOU HAD PUT IN THE GAME TO REALIZE YOU BELONG AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL? >> YEAH. I JUST HAD A LOT OF ADVERSITY AGAINST ME. I ONLY HAD FOUR STARTS TO START THAT YEAR, TWO IN THE BAHAMAS AND THEN A COUPLE IN SOUTH

AMERICA, AND I JUST REMEMBER SHOWING UP TO THAT EVENT AND, YOU KNOW, MY GIRLFRIEND, FIANCEE NOW, SHE WAS CADDYING FOR ME AND SHE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, MY CADDIE GOT COVID THE WEEK BEFORE, WE GOT THE NICEST HOTEL ROOM, WE GOT JUST FREE FOOD,

EVERYTHING, AND I JUST ENDED UP PLAYING REALLY WELL AND WON, AND KIND OF ONCE I WON, I WAS LIKE OKAY, REALLY WASN’T, YOU KNOW, THAT MUCH — THAT HARD. I DON’T THINK I REALIZED THAT BECAUSE I HAD A PRETTY TOUGH YEAR FROM THEN.

I GOT INJURED AND MISSED GETTING MY CARD BY TWO OR THREE SPOTS. IT HUMBLED ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WINNING ON THE KORN FERRY TOUR IS HARD AND GETTING OUT HERE IS REALLY HARD, BUT, YEAH, IT’S PRETTY SURREAL KNOWING THAT I CAN DO IT WAS

REALLY COOL. >> AND THEN A WINNER ON THE PGA TOUR LAST YEAR TO GET INTO THIS PLAYERS. WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSION OF THIS COURSE SETUP FOR THIS WEEK AND HOW IT MIGHT SUIT WHAT YOU’RE DOING WELL RIGHT NOW? >> YEAH. I MEAN THE GOLF COURSE IS LUSH,

IT’S GOOD, IT’S PLAYING A LITTLE LONG RIGHT NOW. THE GREENS ARE SO FAST, BUT VERY SOFT. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. YOU KNOW, THESE GREENS ARE SOME OF THE BEST I THINK I’VE EVER PLAYED ON, ESPECIALLY IN A LONG TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK

THIS GOLF COURSE IS JUST SO AWKWARD AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE THAT. I THINK HAVING TO HIT SO MANY DIFFERENT SHOTS, IT’S KIND OF THE KEY OUT HERE BECAUSE YOU JUST GOT TO HIT IT IN THE RIGHT SPOTS AND BE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.

BUT I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE TEE SHOTS SUIT MY CUT. I THINK SOME TEE SHOTS ARE HARDER FOR RIGHT-HANDED PLAYERS. LIKE 18 FOR ME SUITS — SETS UP NICELY FOR ME OR 2, AND THEN I THINK IT’S LIKE CERTAIN SITUATIONS, 17 IF I PULL IT, YOU

KNOW, AND THEN IT GOES A LITTLE LONG LIKE A FRONT PIN THAT’S FINE, BUT IF A RIGHT-HANDED PLAYER PUSHES IT IT’S GOING TO COME UP SHORT. IF I FAN IT IT’S STILL PROBABLY GOING TO GET THERE. I DON’T KNOW. I JUST