San Antonio – The property of TPC San Antonio, home of the Valero Texas Open, is one of the most centralized in the PGA Tour, with the huge JW Marriot Resort where most players remain domestic on the 18th green, a few steps from where the best golfers in the world leave their tours.
Thus, many participants of the tournament take the time to soak up the equipment of the station and to relax, in particular with the masters who are looming. But Akshay Bhatia is not one of these players. In fact, last year, after taking the Deprive 36 holes in the weekendBhatia sat with Smylie Kaufman for her TV segment then wasted “Happy Hour”Insisting that he prefers to look more golf than living room in the Lazy river.
But do not take the lack of Bhatia to browse the field as a sign that he is unhappy here in the city of Alamo. A year ago, he finished one of the most impressive and improbable wired victories in recent memory, Post a heroic load of the finalist Denny McCarthy on Sunday afternoonAnd finding his way in the circle of the winner during the TPC San Antonio Oaks for his second victory PGA Tour. This has earned the phenomenon a place in the masters of 2024, marking its first professional departure in major.
The opportunity to return and defend yourself during Oaks not only marks the place of one of its greatest professional triumphs, but also one of its most personal. In 2022, Bhatia discussed Presleigh Schultz via an Instagram DM, suggesting that the two should meet while he was in town.
The pair is now engaged.
“A year took place so fast. To be here, and obviously my first defense of a tournament, it’s pretty cool. Lots of good memories. And yes, I always liked this event, a very special place for me and my fiancĂ©e, which we met here in 2022,” he said. “I love to come back here. The golf course is in great shape, so I can’t wait, you know, to play this golf course again and play in front of the big fans we have here in Texas.”
And although Bhatia has not won since he did it here a year, he is certainly in good shape when he returns to the course designed by Greg Norman. Bhatia finished T-3 at The players’ championship, an effort that allowed him a salary of $ 1.3 million. And apart from a missed cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he regularly sniffs the top of the ranking, including the first 10 finishes at the Genesis Invitational and Mexico City. It is currently 18th in the Fedex Cup classification at this early stage of the season, the continuation of an impressive trend which saw him finish 102nd in 2023 and 26th last year.
And although he hopes to play in San Antonio well, his mental approach is certainly different from what she was a year ago, when her only chance to follow this trip with one to Augusta National was to win the tournament.
“Last year, the Masters were so long for me. I had their eyes to try to enter the United States Open according to the world ranking,” he said. “I wrote a lot of things on my wrist last year to try to continue to imagine the number we wanted to arrive in the world. It is such a surreal feeling, you win here, suddenly, you are on a plane directly to Augusta National. It is something that you really find yourself at the end of the week.
“I have the impression that next week is more in my mind. Obviously, by coming here, I always want to play my best and do my best and learn every day, whether mentally or certain plans or a short game, regardless of the fact. It’s a kind of week of development, but it’s also very cool to go back.”
Bhatia said he would not be superstitious about this week, even if he plays his first time as a return champion. Even if he also won the Barracuda 2023 championship, Bhatia no longer played the event the following year because he was qualified and participated in the championship opened the same weekend.
“I think the only couple I will do is that I will strike on the same side of the range as last year,” said Bhatia. “Last year, I did a chamber service every night, I ate the same thing every night, so could be the same thing this year.”
And what has the mince rail bhatia ordered for his meal?
“I just had a hamburger with fries every night.”
