RBC CANADIAN OPEN

May 30, 2024

Akshay Bhatia

Hamilton Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Could you explain what you wrote on your wrist today and why you decided -- why you wanted to write that on your wrist today.

AKSHAY BHATIA: Oh, God, I didn't think it would be this hard. Yeah, I wrote G-money today. He's one of my best buddies out here, grew up together. I looked up to him for a long time.

I just -- yeah, I wish he was still here, but I know he's here watching above everyone. Yeah, it's just crazy. Like I was driving yesterday -- or a couple days ago, going back from dinner back to the hotel, and for whatever reason, I looked to the right, and there was a trash can with G-money on it. Just freaky stuff happens like that where I know he's with us.

Yeah, I'm playing for him this week, and every round I play for the next however long. Yeah, he's just with me all the time, and he meant a lot to me. Just happy and proud to wear Grayson's name on my wrist.

Q. There's a lot of stories that have come out about acts of kindness and generosity that he has shown to people, which warms the heart to see. When you think of that, is there anything that comes to mind of kindness or generosity that he displayed either to you or anyone you witnessed?

AKSHAY BHATIA: I think just allowing me to be in his group, his little group. He's always been such a good guy. He's never lived a boring life. He's had a lot of ups and downs and everything in between, but no matter what, he always supported me.

Any time I got to see him smile and just talked to him, I knew he was one of the few guys out here that truly wanted me to play well. He just lifted a lot of people's spirits. Even if his weren't up, he still wanted everyone to live a great life.

Yeah, anything he did for kids or for me or for whoever, he did it out of his heart and kindness.

Q. Is there anything he taught you that comes to mind or that you learned from him?

AKSHAY BHATIA: He was always just this confident guy, little bit of cockiness to him. I just remember when I was 13, 14 years old, I'd see him on the putting green at our golf course, and I'd ask him what's it like being on the PGA TOUR? It's just so cool, right? And he was always like, dude, you're going to be there. Trust me.

I don't know, he just always believed in me. Out here it can be lonely. This week I'm staying alone, which it's just not always fun, it's not always glamorous. Just having the support of a player and someone you look up to and everything in between -- yeah, he just taught me to be kind to others. His parents have always been awesome to me and treated me like one of their own, and he's done the same.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to say about him that you remember about him or anything?

AKSHAY BHATIA: We split a private plane back from Hilton Head back to Raleigh, and he paid me in a check. The check didn't go through. Then Charles Schwab, he Zelled me $1,600, and he still owes me 400 bucks, so hopefully I'll get that when I see him.

Yeah, I think his story and everything that's happened, I think, has really opened everyone's eyes. It just doesn't happen that often. The amount of appreciation and just uplifting energy from everyone across the world on the PGA TOUR has been great for his family. We're grateful for that because sometimes you feel like no one really cares about you, but the fact that he's touched this many people's hearts, my heart, he's made me just really open my eyes a little bit.

I just think the support everyone's given his family and then everyone is truly amazing. Hopefully this kind of opens the doors for a lot of people that just no matter what, our society is always supporting one another.