Akshay Bhatia's style defies status quo

When it comes to Akshay Bhatia, “status quo” isn’t in his vocabulary.

Whether it’s circumventing college to turn pro at age 17, overcoming injury to earn Special Temporary Membership and eventually clinching his TOUR card in a playoff win at the 2023 Barracuda Championship, the 21-year-old lefty is nothing short of a phenomenon.

Unsurprisingly, Bhatia’s clothing choices are just as unorthodox as his path to the TOUR.

“I like standing out,” Bhatia told PGATOUR.COM. “I think being that type of person out there, I think it's cool for all the people to feel like they don't have to be judged if they wear crazy shirts or whatever it may be.”

Bhatia has indeed become known for those crazy shirts, bright colors and intricate patterns he brings to the course. He wears Greyson Clothiers, which outfits some of golf’s best characters including seasoned veteran Luke Donald, 15-time TOUR winner Justin Thomas, fan-favorite Harry Higgs and breakout rookie Eric Cole.

“Once I started with Greyson, with all the colors and patterns, that's kind of who I am, the generation we live in,” he said. “It's kind of all based on me. I don't really care what people say if I wear joggers or thin pants or whatever it may be.”

Bhatia burst onto the scene in 2019 as a 17-year-old, making his TOUR debut at the Valspar Championship. That same year, he was the youngest American ever chosen to play in the Walker Cup.

At 19, he became the third-youngest player to win on the Korn Ferry Tour but subsequently struggled through missed cuts, injuries and misses at Q-School. However, this year as a 21-year-old, he picked up four top 10s on TOUR and finally broke through for his maiden title at the Barracuda Championship, prevailing in a playoff.

Bhatia doesn’t have an individual inspiration for his style, but admitted his fiancé, Presleigh Schultz, does give suggestions. And he has an aversion to rain gear, so don’t expect him to be sporting any this week even though the forecast calls for more winds and scattered showers.

Has his flamboyant style infused his wardrobe off the course?

“I'm very basic when it comes to off the golf course,” he said. “Shorts, T-shirts, hoodies, no colors really. Black shorts all the time. Always a hat, backwards. Unless I'm at dinner then I don't.”

True to form, the newly-engaged Bhatia sported a backward Callaway hat and a neutral black shirt with khakis as he proposed to Schultz in Napa Valley ahead of the Fortinet Championship.

To kick off the new year, Bhatia brought his best and brightest to Hawaii, showing out in bold prints and his signature burgundy pants at The Sentry and Sony Open in Hawaii, where he started his year with T14 and T13 finishes.

On or off the course, one thing’s for sure about Akshay Bhatia: You can expect the unexpected.