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12 players to follow in 2022: (2) Akshay Bhatia

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Over the next 12 days, the two presenters on our new ‘Across The Pond’ podcast, Matt Vincenzi and Jason Daniels give their 12 players to follow for 2022 to coincide with the 12 days of Christmas. 

None so far have won on their respective tours, so here’s to a long-term watch and investment!

2. Akshay Bhatia (PGA Tour)

At just 17 years old, Akshay Bhatia decided to forego collegiate golf and turn professional in September 2019.

The North Carolina native won the 2019 Jones Cup and was the No. 1-ranked junior in the country and was the first high-schooler ever to become a member of the winning United States Walker Cup team in 2019. With seemingly endless talent and plenty of power, it made some sense to try his luck professionally.

Unfortunately for Bhatia, his journey in the past few years has not gone as smoothly as his beautiful golf swing. Although Bhatia has used sponsors exemptions to make eighteen PGA Tour starts thus far in his career, including a top ten finish at the Fortinet Championship; he failed to earn one of the 25 PGA Tour cards offered at the 2020 Korn Ferry Finals. He played his way into the event via non-member FedExCup points.

The COVID-19 pandemic also had quite an impact on the teenager who was trying to scrape and claw his way onto the PGA Tour. In March, Bhatia finished in the top 40 of qualifying for Canada’s Mackenzie Tour to earn conditional status, but the start of that circuit’s season was postponed due to the pandemic. He also was scheduled to play in the Hero Indian Open in March on a sponsor’s invite before the European Tour (now DP World Tour) canceled that tournament.

Despite the few setbacks, there were some highlights last year for the now 19-year-old. Akshay was able to qualify for the 2021 U.S. Open and made the cut, finishing tied for 57th at Torrey Pines. He also won three mini-tour events in 2020-2021, flashing the talent that made him such a highly regarded prospect.

Just this week, Bhatia won in a playoff on the Florida Elite Tour, winning $50,000.

Still a teenager, Bhatia has plenty of time to prove his talent. He has said in the past he is using his first few seasons as a professional as his “college”, and is taking all of the difficulties in stride as he develops as a golfer. His raw talent should allow for him to take a giant leap forward in 2022, and will surely have many accomplishments beyond this season.

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19th Hole

3-time PGA Tour winner calls for LIV to buy Champions Tour to fix ‘joke’ purses

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While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.

“We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.

“Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”

In 2024, the Champions Tour had a total of $67 million in prize money over the course of 24 events.

DiMarco also defended LIV players for taking the money and said he would take it also.

“They wanted to play for a lot of money, and they deserve it. They have had some great careers, why not go and get some money?”

DiMarco also offered insight on Graeme McDowell’s move to LIV.

“I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to Jay Monahan and said I love the tour but I am struggling to keep my card and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have too.”

DiMarco was ranked as high as 6th in the world in 2006.

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19th Hole

‘It won’t win you golf tournaments’ – Golf analyst rips Charley Hull’s course management

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Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.

After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.

While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.

“I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.

“The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.

“In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else. If you put Charley against Nelly Korda, then I’m picking Nelly every single day of the week.”

Johnson also made a fascinating comparison between Hull and a famous male golfer, John Daly.

“Golf-wise that’s the way she plays the game and it’s a little bit like watching John Daly I suppose.”

“There’s something that John Daly had that made him a major winner and a winner, but Charley is kind of lacking that. Her talent is not in question, but maybe her application is. Maybe it’s just the case of her never changing and that will cost her golf tournaments, there’s no two ways about it. You cannot go for every pin because that’s the way you play and it being fun, as other players are better than that and you have to have course management.”

Hull is still only 27, and therefore has plenty of time to work on her flaws to achieve the success her talent should allow.

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Former agent lifts lid on being fired by ‘zombie’ Tiger Woods

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Discussing his new book “Rainmaker” with the Daily Mail, Tiger Woods’ former agent, Hughes Norton, recounted the events leading up to and after his split with the 15-time major champion.

Norton was abruptly fired by Woods in 1998 after his 1997 Masters win and monster deal with Nike.

In the book, Norton talks about the way Tiger views his relationships, calling him a “zombie.”

The solace I can take, which doesn’t provide much, is this: He was an equal opportunity zombie with relationships, his swing coaches, his lawyer, the guy negotiated the IMG representation deal, with caddies, When it’s over, it’s over.”

Norton added:

“It is the way he terminates relationships with everyone. Whether it’s girlfriends, whether it’s his former golf coaches. It’s ironic, really. In a way he’s so good at confrontation on the golf course. If he’s playing you, he will beat your brains out every single time.

“But when it comes to confronting things like me and other people that are in his life, he has no social skills whatsoever. It’s maddening, actually.”

After he was fired by Woods, Norton was let go by IMG, which he believes was due to Woods’ influence.

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