HONDA CLASSIC

February 25, 2023

Akshay Bhatia

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Akshay, take me through the wardrobe changes today and all the topless golf out there. Ever had a day like that?

AKSHAY BHATIA: I mean, I've done it before but not twice in a round. Yeah, I feel nasty, to say the least. Thankfully, Presleigh, my girlfriend, brought me a change of clothes, but obviously it didn't matter because I changed -- I got mud on my new pants.

Yeah, it was an interesting one, to say the least.

Q. Was it a full wardrobe change after 6 and then something else after 15?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Just a change after 6, so I just changed my pants. My shirt was fine because I took my shirt off twice. But yeah, it was really gross. Really, really gross.

Q. 6 was a ridiculously good par save. Take me through that shot and what happened on 15.

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah, 6 wasn't -- I knew I could get it out easily. Even if I thin it, it's still going to go 120 yards at least, and it was just nice to drip that putt in from about probably 13, 14 feet. Kept some momentum going on that front nine. 15, just a lot of wind switch. I mean, I was talking to my caddie and Adam because they were going to check if my ball was up, and it was straight downwind when it was supposed to be in off the right, so it was just a big switch.

Adam hit the tent or whatever on the left side, the grandstand, and his bounced back in, and I guess I should have changed clubs. But you're trying to hit it to the middle of the green, and I hit a good shot, and it just unfortunately made a lot of bad swings, I guess.

Q. What did the guys in your group and what did you hear from the crowd after your water shots with the shirt off?

AKSHAY BHATIA: A lot of claps. Makes you feel good. I feel like my body looks good, and hopefully on TV it makes it look a little bigger.

It was amazing. This is a pretty new experience for me. Just having a lot of fans. It's funny, Dylan was saying, are you from here, like how much are you paying these guys to say your name, and it's just really cool because I take a lot of pride, and it brings warmth to my heart when people are shouting my name, cheering me on. It's really just a fun experience, and I hope to have more of it.

Q. You're already all over social media for it.

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah, rightfully so, I should be, taking my shirt off a couple of times.

Q. Can you remember the last time you had to take a shirt off to play a shot, never mind do it twice in a round?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah, I did it in Bermuda back in October, so pretty recent. But I've never done it twice. I never plan to hit it in the water, but it's golf, and this golf course is really hard.

Q. Were you shocked how you sunk when you stepped in behind 15?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah, how the ball was sitting, I was like, all right, it'll be fine. My left foot was just sinking straight. Maybe I should have just went back to the drop zone, but it was just such a tough shot because if it comes out hot at all then you're going across into the other side of the water. But I was happy to make 5 there, honestly, after everything that happened.

Q. Do you ever practice those shots?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Absolutely not, no. No, I mean, you have a sense of like feel for it, I guess, and you can always hit it pretty hard, depending how deep it is. But no, I don't practice that at all.

Q. Is that why you wear those pants, because you can pull them up pretty high?

AKSHAY BHATIA: No, I mean, I switched pants today twice. One was a pant, one was a jogger. It didn't really make a difference.