Wake Forest's Akshay Bhatia plays first round as a member of the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship
Posted August 3, 2023 6:55 p.m. EDT
Updated August 3, 2023 9:31 p.m. EDT
Greensboro, N.C. — Nearly two weeks after his first PGA Tour win, 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia started his first tournament as a PGA Tour member at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.
The Wake Forest resident posted a score of two-over par on Thursday, despite rain throughout the morning.
"It's kind of a nice, little relaxing event for me versus trying to secure any sort of points or card," Bhatia said before the tournament started on Wednesday.
Bhatia finished at even par through his first nine holes, adding two strokes in his final nine holes, however he did end his round with a birdie. The gallery following Bhatia's group, which included former major champion Stewart Cink and five-time PGA Tour winner Same Burns, was full of family and friends that made the quick trip to watch him on Thursday.
"We drove here yesterday, we brought our dogs for the week so it's nice, it's a very home-feeling event," Bhatia said.
Bhatia earned full membership status with his win at the Barracuda Championship at the end of July. He's now eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs as well. He turned pro as a 17-year-old.
His mother and father, who were in the crowd, said watching him pursue his passion has been a dream for the whole family.
"It's like celebrating with him," Renu Bhatia, his mother, said. "It's been a dream come true for all of us and I'm so happy for him because he finally did it."
His father, Sonny Bhatia, feels the same.
"We did it, we beat the odds," Sonny said. "It took a lot of people to get him there and his hard work."
Bhatia will tee off on Friday at 12:38 p.m. looking to make the weekend cut.
