Akshay Bhatia skipping college and going pro at 18

[McCann1]

Akshay and I played once or twice together in practice rounds for Monday qualifiers. He’s got the total package. Won the jones cup recently which is on a hard course full of the who’s who of amateur golf

[lowheel]

I wish him nothing but luck.Hes a near prodigy at this point. Has all the tools to succeed

[lowheel]

If he's good enough, he'll be fine.

 

As a big bonus, he won't have to put up with the NCAA if Tiger buys him lunch.

 

lol

 

If Tiger was in this spot today, I think he would have skipped college.

 

Tiger's fun with the NCAA

 

https://www.sfgate.c...CAA-3124623.php

 

yeah that was pathetic...

[BMC]

I played with him and his buddy as a random pairing in Raleigh, NC about two years ago. So, he was about 16, which seems about right. He was a nice kid and chatted a good bit. You can hear his personality in the video.

 

As I recall, he shot about 73 or 74 with a few birdies. Didn't overly impress me, but he was obviously just practicing. Best of luck to him.

[ebrasmus21]

 

what do u all think?

 

i hope he makes it as a fellow lefty.

 

not sure i agree with him skipping college. i feel like there is great competition and really can help boost his confidence and learn from a great college coach/teammates.

 

You're a lefty?? But. Wait a second, hold on... The Big Goat Cat isn't lefty. Come on Gator - switch to righty.

 

the thought has crossed my mind..... esp after a nice 85 and i want to break all my clubs.

 

Lol that’s hilarious. Biggest tiger fan I know in person is lefty. He hates Phil. I always found that more than odd. Loll don’t know why.

 

Life just doesn’t make sense sometimes...

[Bingo1976]

 

what do u all think?

 

i hope he makes it as a fellow lefty.

 

not sure i agree with him skipping college. i feel like there is great competition and really can help boost his confidence and learn from a great college coach/teammates.

 

 

How can you blame him for turning pro? Follow the money. An injury in college could derail any money and be career ending before it even started. He can always go back to school although I agree he is missing out on some unique experiences in college.

I thought about something else too since I posted. I am assuming by his name he is from India but never the less where ever he is from he may need to make some money to help his family. You never know the personal situation. But for whatever reason I wish him success

 

He's born in America to Indian parents. I don;t think they are struggling for money, and given how other young stars have flamed out, I'd be keen to cash in on what golf talent I have whilst it's hot. My experience of Asian kids at college is that they actually go to learn rather than be frat boys, so I don;t think he will miss much.

 

From what I read about him, he does seem to have the X factor that some of the greats have had - it's whether it can continue through to the pro ranks.

[greenwavegolfer]

Skipping college worked out OK for Rory. Then again Danny Choo says Rory won't win the Masters this year so maybe if he went to college he would've won the Masters by now so who knows.

[greenwavegolfer]

 

what do u all think?

 

i hope he makes it as a fellow lefty.

 

not sure i agree with him skipping college. i feel like there is great competition and really can help boost his confidence and learn from a great college coach/teammates.

 

 

How can you blame him for turning pro? Follow the money. An injury in college could derail any money and be career ending before it even started. He can always go back to school although I agree he is missing out on some unique experiences in college.

I thought about something else too since I posted. I am assuming by his name he is from India but never the less where ever he is from he may need to make some money to help his family. You never know the personal situation. But for whatever reason I wish him success

 

He grew up in SoCal with the money for lessons from Gankas and to travel and play in every national junior tournament so I think it's safe to say this isn't about the $$$ (or certainly not completely about it). I think it's more about him thinking he's ready for the pro game and not wanting to delay that.

[OutBackHack]

He has a sponsor invite for Valspar, so for those interested you can check him out there.

[MPSgolfs]

Prodigious talent. Between the home schooling, intense tournament schedule, and plenty of instruction with George Gankas, it seems like Akshay and his family has been preparing to move in this direction for a while. Sometimes it's clear what you're supposed to do on this planet. Kid's a golfer!

[PedronNiall]

If he's passionate about it why not? It's funny that people see it as foolish to get paid to do something you enjoy while still having every possibility of going to school later when you've lived a bit and have an idea of other things that truly interest you in life. Exposure to golf will let him see everything from hospitality to marketing to running charitable organizations to booking and travel to event organization. Maybe he'll do super well as a pro but still get insight into other things he can act on to make things happen in the world and want to go back to school for a technical or four-year-or-more degree.

 

What's wild to me is kids being forced to go to college right after hs with no idea what they want to do in life, getting a degree that means nothing to them, and grinding it out in an office or being a nomad until they find something they actually enjoy. Worse still is too much time removed from a graduation date and trying to move into something related that they find out they're passionate about or extremely skilled at can lead to difficulty in securing employment.

 

I think a lot of graduating seniors would be much better served trying something other than college right out of hs, especially when it means taking on real responsibilities in terms of managing the big picture of one's own life. How could being paid and paying towards traveling the world, getting exposure to something outside of the day-to-day, and having the opportunity to see all that golf and the industries that touch it offers be a bad thing?

 

If I ever have kids I'd see no issue with going that route. I let a guidance counselor and family talk me out of waiting to start college and it was detrimental to put it mildly. It's interesting that when someone turns 18 everyone wants them to take on everything about being an adult while at the same time wanting to dictate the path they take to mature in life. The most adult thing he can do is making his own decisions, but so many people try everything in the world to tell graduates what the next step should be instead of just giving them the information and letting them actually decide.

[Dog Lover]

 

what do u all think?

 

i hope he makes it as a fellow lefty.

 

not sure i agree with him skipping college. i feel like there is great competition and really can help boost his confidence and learn from a great college coach/teammates.

Shay has been going to PGA Monday pre-qualifiers for two years now. He just turned 17 three weeks ago and has had multiple instructors.

 

I have watched him play final Sunday rounds in some big junior tournaments. The next morning, the other kids are headed back to school, but he likely has a early morning tee time half way across the country in a Monday morning PGA tour qualifier. Amazing commitment to tournament golf and he is battle tested.

 

Great family and they do not need the money.....he has his own trackman. Ha,ha.

 

If anyone knows Trent Phillips, he is a good young lefty too. He is a little older than Shay but awesome player!

[kekoa]

To each their own. There's plenty of pros that didn't go to an American college and are great players. It's not the be all and end all. He has just as much chance of being successful doing it this way. Good luck to him.

I will say I agree with you 110%------

 

there are so many fun things though from college, even if he were only to go 1-2 for free...

 

I agree with ya, the biggest part of undergrad isnt necessarily the education or in this case even the golf. If I was as talented as he was I'd personally want to go just to experience it, having a chance for a NCAA title, a US amateur title, etc are just bonuses. Golf isnt like contact sports where risk of injury is a potential career ender

 

I agree as well. He can basically go to any top D1 program and most likely on a full ride where he can experience the college life a bit, play at some amazing courses and hone his game a bit further in large events. That way he really has options.

[Z1ggy16]

If he truly thinks he's bound to the next GOAT then sure skip college... but I also think having a "back up plan" in case you don't end up killing it on tour is also a pretty solid idea.

 

Agree about the college social stuff, too. He'll be missing out on a lot of knowledge, friends and "activities" that he won't get by skipping. Maybe not if he never left his room or something weird (knew some like that) but college is as much about figuring out who you are as it is about being educated.

[BMC]

Keep in mind, some American Tour players who went to college - did not finish.

[Darth Putter]

Also keep in mind the current World #1 turned pro at age 17.

[lumberman2462]

He makes a nice move at the ball.

 

Wish him luck.....

[bravesgolf]

Skipping college worked out OK for Rory. Then again Danny Choo says Rory won't win the Masters this year so maybe if he went to college he would've won the Masters by now so who knows.

He will never win the masters

[MK7Golf21]

I agree with what everyone has said in this thread. One thing to point out, if he is playing hot golf right now and went to college, he would be missing out on a lot of money he could be making.

[MakersMarsh3]

Is he still going to hold out for the Walker Cup?

[iteachgolf]

With the money he will make he won’t need much of a backup plan. You can always go back to school. I think it’s the correct call in his situation. Wouldn’t be surprised if Karl does the same thing

[duffer987]

People are not limited to attending college between the ages of 18-22.

The brick buildings and leafy grounds will always be there. Sport is incredibly timing-dependent, even one such as golf. Strike while you can young man!

[ratspros]

The arguments for going to college are laughable at best in this thread. 1.) who gives a ;&$; about a free ride when his first sponsorship deal is going to pay him more then enough to go to any college he wants to if things don't work out on the pro tours. 2.) he can have just as much fun and as many "experiences" on tour as any kid trying to play golf and go to school at the same time.

[gatorpedsMD]

He has a sponsor invite for Valspar, so for those interested you can check him out there.

 

hot damn i will be there thursday in my tiger suit

[deadsolid...shank]

To each their own. There's plenty of pros that didn't go to an American college and are great players. It's not the be all and end all. He has just as much chance of being successful doing it this way. Good luck to him.

I will say I agree with you 110%------

 

there are so many fun things though from college, even if he were only to go 1-2 for free...

 

I agree with ya, the biggest part of undergrad isnt necessarily the education or in this case even the golf. If I was as talented as he was I'd personally want to go just to experience it, having a chance for a NCAA title, a US amateur title, etc are just bonuses. Golf isnt like contact sports where risk of injury is a potential career ender

 

And there’s no 10 million dollar signing bonus when you get drafted so that even if you wash out you can still be ok. These college basketball players, why wouldn’t you go if you know you’re going to be a lottery pick. You’ll be set for life even if you never play a minute. I don’t think anyone in the golf world other than Tiger is probably commanding enough up front to set you up for good.

[lowheel]

He has a sponsor invite for Valspar, so for those interested you can check him out there.

 

hot damn i will be there thursday in my tiger suit

 

[gatorpedsMD]

Yeeeee

[Bingo1976]

The arguments for going to college are laughable at best in this thread. 1.) who gives a ;&$; about a free ride when his first sponsorship deal is going to pay him more then enough to go to any college he wants to if things don't work out on the pro tours. 2.) he can have just as much fun and as many "experiences" on tour as any kid trying to play golf and go to school at the same time.

 

Well quite. And the idea of finding yourself at college is laughable. Most people I know who leave college at 21-22 think they are the dogs danglies because they got a half reasonable grade and should be walking into a management role. I am pretty sure someone like Nike would snap him up for an apparel deal pretty quickly, which would set him up for life if spent wisely.

 

He does sound a bit of a Tiger Woods character in terms of a singular focus on golf, and from what I have read about his tournament wins, he seems quite clutch coming down the stretch.

[tbowles411]

Life is short and talent can be fleeting. Better to learn and develop in real life than waiting to see what happens in four years. A degree or the "college experience" isn't a guarantee of success.

[Poor Posture]

I went to college, graduated and did not become a pro golfer :derisive:.