Akshay Bhatia Returns To Augusta National | The Masters

Ten years after winning Drive, Chip and Putt, Akshay Bhatia returns to Augusta National for his first Masters

—

Since 1934, the Masters Tournament has been home to some of golf’s greatest moments. Amidst blooming azaleas, towering pines and flowering dogwoods, the first full week of April ushers in a stage unique to golf and to sport. Over four days and 72 holes, the smallest field in major championship golf competes for a chance to capture the Green Jacket and a place in Masters history.

—

View scores, player information, patron information, watch live and more: https://masters.com
Follow @themasters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themasters/
Follow @TheMasters on Twitter: https://twitter.com/themasters
Follow @TheMasters on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMasters/
Follow @TheMasters on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themasters

ladies and gentlemen good afternoon
we’re pleased to be joined in the
interview room by the last entrance into
the 2024 Master’s field hche Patia AE
welcome to Augusta
National a decade ago you competed at
Augusta National as a Drive Chip and
Putt
finalist and yesterday you earn your way
back with a dramatic win can you
describe your last 24 hours I really
can’t um you know
just wire to wire is very hard to do uh
having a six shot lead with nine holes
to go you feel pretty good about
yourself I was playing really good all
day and Denny just kind of found this
you know firing him and when a guy
shoots 28 on the back makes you know I
think he had seven one putts on the back
nine it’s pretty impressive and uh just
to be standing here it’s it’s amazing
and um you know just having the
opportunity the MERS giving us the
opportunity to play their Golf Course is
is certainly special and uh I can’t wait
to be you know on that first te on
Thursday great we’ll open up to
questions Jimmy thanks Tom uh aay do you
remember the last time you were here
yeah I came here with a member uh in
2019 or 2020 in November it the first
time you know I I played the golf course
and just unreal moment uh for me just
being on the the presence of this place
is is spectacular and um you know I’m
excited to be here as a participant this
year and um yeah it’s great can I just
follow with one thing real quickly um
were you one of those kids who when you
were in the Drive Chip and Putt you’re
standing over a shot saying this is for
the Masters uh you know in the drive CH
putt not necessarily but growing up as a
kid I think everyone kind of says that
to themselves and um just have that
opportunity you know that first time uh
at the Drive Chip and put is is pretty
surreal as a kid you just don’t realize
how lucky we are to have that
opportunity and for everyone to be so
gracious to let some kids you know hit
some golf balls on the Range hit some
putts on you know on the 18th green it
was Unreal and I remember making that
putt you know wearing those baggy pants
and uh thankfully my style has gotten a
little better so great
Daniel I uh read that you’re working
with Julie Elon is that correct I’m
working with uh her half um Brian so I
they’re Affiliated yeah so I’m just
wondering what you guys have been
working on and how are you able to tap
into that yesterday and really really
the whole week because as you mentioned
you know sleeping with the lead three
times in a row can’t be easy yeah uh you
know we started working together um
start of players week and you know there
was so much that I had going on in my
life not just in golf but more so my
life and you know we tackled a lot of
things a lot of long conversations uh
throughout this these last couple weeks
and you know I I’ve I’ve really tried to
work on myself just off off the golf
course you know dealing with a lot of
different things and um yeah we just had
you know different goals every day um
and I remember texting him Tuesday like
he said how are you feeling I said I
don’t feel that great you know going to
Valera I was hting it terrible and um
you know I finished 11th a week before
but you know just learning a lot from
from the Houston open um there were six
shots that I feel like if I would have
backed off of I probably would have had
a better chance of winning the golf
tournament and you know we tackled that
and uh yeah everything kind of came to
fruition and it wasn’t easy for sure I
felt like I couldn’t breathe the whole
day the last couple days and but it was
also a weird sense of calmness so I
don’t really know how to describe that
great Krishna
Swami you know do you realize what kind
of an impact you and sahit are having
back in India there are no Indians there
are no Indians in this field this year
but are are two indian-americans
yourself and sahit do you realize the
kind of impact you back having back home
on Indian golf in the last 24 hours I’ve
written three stories in two different
airport lounges about you trying to you
know in fixing time in between the
transfers so do you realize what impact
you’re having back in your home of
religion I I don’t know if I quite
realize you know what sth and I can do
for the gulf in India
um I know it’s really special when I
have uh you know a bunch of fans looking
up to me bunch of kids coming up to me
and um you know I almost had the
opportunity to go uh a couple years ago
before Co happened which would have been
really special but 19 yeah 2019 and I’m
really hoping I can do that uh soon but
I think it’s awesome just being able to
grow the game just not in the States but
you know in India I think it’s special
to us uh the words and and kind of like
what we can do for for golf there is I
think awesome and and the development we
can you know we can accomplish for
people over there is is really cool and
congratulations again can you talk about
your shoulder how how does it feel and
is this an injury that you’ve had or did
it just happen yeah uh the shoulder is
you know it’s going to be a working
progress for sure I’ve had it happen you
know two three times uh I had a full
dislocation playing pickle ball a couple
years ago and um you know I had it you
know kind of sublux in Berita a couple
uh 2021 uh and I played through that
week I think I finished 15th or 16th so
it’s nothing new to me it was a weird
weird experience cuz I had so much
adrenaline so I had no pain kind of in
that playoff but it’s definitely um you
know something we’re going to have to
work towards and you know have a lot of
trust in my team that we can you know te
up on Thursday Johnson AE you won the
Barracuda Championship back in uh August
of last year and it was a bit of a
disappointment to you not to get the
FedEx Cup points because you weren’t
technically a member you were a special
temporary member of the PGA tour in your
work with Ryan Davis was he able to help
you get over the the disappointment that
I know you carried for a
while um you know we didn’t get into too
much detail about that stuff I still
think winning out here is is a big thing
and regardless of how that that outcome
happen you know I think it fueled a fire
in me for sure and and having you know
not being in the Signature Events this
year not having the opportunity it was
really hard because you know I’m I’m
working my butt off this is my seventh
week in a row uh but now winning this
event last week uh being in all the
signatures and playing golf courses that
I really truly love is something that
I’m really excited for and and uh you
know just even being here first off is
unreal
Sam actually can you tell us take us
back a decade and tell us uh some of the
stories you remember from coming here
the first time and and the enduring
memories yeah uh I remember we we had
they were hosting us in a hotel all the
all the participants and um you know I
was in the elevator John Daly walks in
and I’m like this guy’s got a Diet Coke
hood on and I realized it was John Da so
it’s really cool to kind of see him in
In the Flesh for once and um yeah just
driving up Magnolia Lane you know with
all the kids uh met a lot of you know
new friends I remember we were in the
hotel and uh we got one of the the
Master’s cups you know from the
tournament and this we had a couple of
us but we all grabbed our Putters and
just were putting on the carpet in the
hotel and just having a bunch bunch of
fun really um and then I remember coming
out you know watching the practice
rounds on Tuesday or uh yeah Tuesday and
um you know we were sitting on whole
four on the grand stand and it was just
so surreal um I remember how bad I
wanted to be out there and not just
watch and uh you know now being here and
being the first you know Drive Chip and
Putt participant in the Masters is is
really cool so I’m hoping you know this
can inspire a lot of kids that are you
know having that opportunity to play
Bob you tell us just the logistics from
last night to today did did did somebody
have to get housing lined up did you
come last night did you wait till this
morning when did you get here all that
yeah um you know my agent’s done a great
job you know he’s he’s had a lot of
belief in me since I was a kid uh since
I turned Pro and uh you know had the
house lined up um and then um one of my
sponsors one flight he uh he flew his
plane out for us uh waited for us watch
you know watch me finish the tournament
off and he got us got us here safe and
sound it was a pretty pretty cool
experience for me um and you know we
just got here the car was ready uh so we
got here last night and just kind of got
in pretty late and had a good good
morning when did you get out here this
morning and and what did you do today
yeah I I slept in as much as I could I
didn’t get much sleep um you know still
a lot of adrenaline and then I got here
about 30 40 minutes ago so around 2 2:00
um and just kind of got the lay of the
land of Augusta you know I haven’t been
here in a couple years and I truly
haven’t seen you know it as as a as a
tournament so it’s uh it’s pretty cool
there’s a lot going on for sure and uh
you know I’m still learning a bunch Joy
a because of your Indian Origins I’m
going to ask you this have you ever done
panga the you know the exaggerated hand
and shoulder mov dance I have not no
don’t do it I might hurt my shoulder
doing
that but I wanted to ask you uh a we all
know about I mean the Indian parents and
the parenting that we have gone through
and you have also gone through the same
thing what kind of values have you got
from that that has helped you become
probably a better golfer yeah I think
you know my my parents are always very
supportive and I feel like in our
culture you know everyone’s family so
you know regardless of of how you’re
doing um everyone either comes up with
you or you know if you’re going down
everyone still stays up so I I’ve
learned a lot from my parents uh even my
family you know all is supportive and um
you know it makes me it makes me feel
like more of a person and not just a
golfer so I I I truly take that to heart
and um yeah it’s kind of what I believe
Leed for example Jeffy
Jeffrey have you had a moment to kind of
uh stop for a minute and think of just
what this moment will be like and and
what your goals are this week not yet um
you know there’s there’s still a lot to
learn this week just
registering um kind of like I said
getting the lay of the land and um you
know I’m going to talk to Ryan my
psychologist this afternoon he’s flying
into tonight and uh you know we’ll have
a good good game plan plan some goals
and um kind of get the ball rolling
tomorrow when you did get on this golf
course a couple years ago you say with a
member what was it like to be out there
and what kind of uh feelings did that
bring to you I mean it’s all is special
here um I think just the aura of the
place has you know just it’s it’s it’s
unreal um and I think too that you know
we we were one of probably four or five
groups out here so you kind of have the
whole place to yourself and um just the
golf course is unreal you you just know
all the golf shots that have been hit on
on certain holes and just kind of
picturing that in your head is is pretty
cool and in real life it’s it’s
definitely
life-changing
David what Bob asked what time did you
get here last night we got here around
1:30 in the morning
Sean curious um what you think your
practice schedule today through
Wednesday will be and who you have um
praon lined up with and and do you think
the shoulder will impact your
preparations at all today I’m just
taking it easy um I’m going to get some
physio work uh just make sure my body’s
good and rested like I said this is
seven weeks in a row for me so it’s a
lot of golf uh but I also have a ton of
adrenaline so it kind of balances out uh
as far as tomorrow not really sure what
I’m going to do and then I know for sure
Wednesday I’ll play the the part three
contest and um but yeah just going to
kind of sit down with the team and and
figure out you know what the best game
plan is and you know I’m hoping you know
my shoulder should be good but I might
be a little scared to hit some shots and
we just got to find out tomorrow M Kate
kind of going off of those what have you
learned about the power of rest being on
this crazy stretch of golf and maybe
balancing your time both on and off the
course yeah rest is very important um
you know just not spending too much time
on the golf course
um you know it’s a hard balance because
you feel like you have to get so much
done but at the same time you really
don’t I remember you know winning
Barracuda I only played nine holes and I
ended up winning the golf tournament and
so there’s always a fine balance but I
feel like you know when I have Pressley
my fiance around we just kind of take
take a seat back and and go do some
normal things and not just focus on the
golf so you know it’s a little different
for a major week and this is obviously a
very important week to to many of us and
um but you know I talked to to John ROM
you know last night and he was just kind
of saying that you treat it like a
normal event and so that’s what I’m
going to do question a sh the ultimate
assd test for your adoption of the
broomstick putter must be your that last
putt on the regulation yesterday can you
talk a little bit about your adoption of
that in that particular
situation yeah um you know I I’ve built
a really nice team around me people that
I trust and um you know we went through
kind of the stats last year of what I
can improve on my ball striking was
always really good um and you know
putting all kind of lacked and when you
want to contend in tournaments you got
to you know make some putts when they
count and so I just felt like the the
style I was using previous was you know
it was good but it wasn’t it just wasn’t
as consistent and so we took a chance on
on Switching the broomstick and I talked
to a couple players players about it and
they gave me some good advice just kind
of what to work on and um you know I
made a promise to myself that you know
I’m going to take at least six months to
try this putter out regardless of how it
goes and you know so far my stats have
kind of skyrocketed so it’s uh it’s a
nice Improvement especially from kind of
the 10 to 15 ft range and um you know I
feel like regardless of what putter you
have uh in that moment I I feel like I
was going to make that putt so doesn’t
really affect me
question uh o how how much of a
challenge is it to kind of switch
caddies and go through cadd kind of
midseason and guess the second part of
that is what allowed you and Ryan to
work so well in the first week together
last week yeah it’s definitely different
you know I had uh you know my caddy for
seven eight months he was awesome uh we
had a great
relationship and um you know I just
finding someone last minute you don’t
know how you’re going to mesh they don’t
know your go game um and so you know I
had David Cook web Simpsons caddy in
Houston and he was awesome super
positive and um I had a lot of fun with
him and and Ryan and I have had you know
a pretty good relationship he was
catting for justtin for for a long time
and Justin and I came up at the same
time and so we spent a lot of time
together especially on the corn fairy
tour and uh yeah for whatever reason you
know he’s just he’s really smart
obviously he coached at Stanford and um
he he works really hard and he just he
has a good idea of and sense of how how
I was feeling you know throughout the
day and also kind of the the goals that
I had in front of me and so he just kept
reminding me of that and um yeah just
all worked out it’s pretty crazy it’s
kind of a a fairy tale story maybe just
a few more questions
Dan in addition to the Drive Chip in put
when you were younger you also played in
The Sage Valley Junior Invitational and
did really well there how much of an
impact do you think playing in those two
events when you were younger had on you
now and your ability to get back here
knowing how special an opportunity is to
be able to play here in August at this
time of the year yeah I think you Junior
Invitational is a very special
tournament to us we get the you know we
get to stay on property we get to hang
out with you know with all the
participants there the golf course was
spectacular and I think it’s one of the
probably the high highest ranked
tournament that we ever play it feels
like our masters uh as kids and you know
that golf tournament was was great uh I
played the year I won I played against
lvic who finished second and you know
we’re both here today so I think it just
shows an an impact on you know how much
that tournament generates great players
and like I said being here as a kid is
kind of a fairy tale um just having the
opportunity qualifying and you earn your
spot getting here just how I did today
and so it’s a it’s a cool kind of it’s a
cool thing that you know everyone at
austa National does for for us and uh
for years to come on
on yeah Shay uh if you can describe for
us uh the transformation of your game
from your college days to aove both in
terms of skills and personality and
aligned with that what kind of
friendships you made on tour after rning
Pro and how they’ve helped you sort of
be where you are today uh so I didn’t go
to college
um but I guess you know growing up I had
some mentors out here pretty early on
Phil mikkelson was one of them and you
know he was a big brother to me he he
would play you know as many practice
rounds as we could when when I got
sponsor exemptions on the PJ tour and um
you know I’m still trying to find my my
footing with some friendships out here
it’s definitely a little different
because it’s it’s a lot more business
oriented um especially when you teed up
but I have a couple good friends out
here and um you know I’m looking to kind
of build my team and and kind of stick
to to who I have and who I trust great
last question uh Brian yeah actually how
do you balance the obvious excitement
and playing in your first Masters and
the awe of being here with just getting
down to business and being able to put
on your best performance yeah I think
you know soaking in what just happened
is is important you know you don’t get
to kind of have those opportunities too
much I waited 7 eight months to to kind
of get you know those feelings of
singing in the car on the way to the
airport and uh just kind of bouncing up
and down on the plane ride but you know
today I’m still going to soak it in
tomorrow is kind of okay what’s our
goals for the week and um you know just
get ready to te it up so it’s another
golf tournament it’s a very special
tournament but at the end of the day you
know one of us is is going to win so
that’s kind of my goal and um yeah I’m
excited to up well a thank you for your
time today welcome to Augusta National
and the Masters thank
you