Akshay Bhatia is instantly recognizable with his thin frame, flowing locks, and big eyeglasses. As most of us take a midsummer break for the Fourth of July weekend, it’s a good moment to pause and consider where we are and where men’s professional golf is going over the next few weeks and months. There is plenty to consider, including:
Akshay’s moment
Despite his three-putt bogey on the 72nd hole Sunday to lose the Rocket Mortgage Classic to Cam Davis by one stroke, 22-year-old Akshay Bhatia is on his way to being a star. The left-hander already is instantly recognizable with his thin frame, his long, dark hair spilling out from beneath his cap and his big eyeglasses, but it’s the way he plays that is separating Bhatia. Though he let what would have been his second victory of the season slip away on the last green Sunday, Bhatia seems to lean into the moment rather than let it scare him. “I know how to close a golf tournament,” Bhatia said. “I’ve done it before; just, today wasn’t my day.” It was what else he said that resonated. “Just a little bit of nerves, honestly,” Bhatia said. “I’m human.” Bhatia stands 10th in Presidents Cup points, and finding a spot for him on Jim Furyk’s U.S. team in Montreal in September could be beneficial to Bhatia and the Americans.
Not so Young
Cameron Young’s quest to finally win his first PGA Tour event doesn’t appear to be getting any easier. Young looked uncomfortable and unhappy Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic as another chance slipped away. With seven runner-up finishes but no victories in three years on the PGA Tour, Young has played his way into an odd corner that he can’t seem to escape. During Sunday’s final round, television announcers contrasted Young’s body language with Bhatia’s, and the difference was dramatic. Young has never been one to smile on the course, but his frustration was obvious even without knowing he had cracked his driver shaft in frustration during the round. What’s the problem? Young ranks 128th in strokes gained putting, and his wedge play is average. The bigger problem may be what’s happening within. He seems to be fighting himself. Young is immensely talented, and when he wins, he might win several more. Getting to that first one, however, isn’t getting easier.
Passage of time
It has been 11 years since 19-year-old Jordan Spieth holed a bunker shot at the John Deere Classic to win his first PGA Tour event, igniting what eventually will be a World Golf Hall of Fame career. Spieth is back at the John Deere this week, trying to find the missing spark in his game while also offering another reminder of how quickly time can move. It doesn’t seem that long ago when Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas were the PGA Tour’s young stars, as popular as they were promising. They are still among the biggest names in the game, but as they have moved into their 30s, married and with young families, the trajectories of their respective careers have leveled out. It makes one wonder if they now see a guy such as Ludvig Åberg and wonder how they’re going to consistently beat him over the next few years the way others looked at them when they arrived. Among them, they have won 34 tour events, including five majors and two Players Championship, more than enough to celebrate on their getaways together. But it has been a year since Fowler’s victory in the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, his first win in five years, more than two years since Thomas last won, and Spieth has won just twice over the last seven years. What seemed to come so easily to them in their early 20s doesn’t seem so easy anymore. That’s not to suggest they are finished winning. Each of them is capable of winning several more times, and they have nibbled around the edges this year. It’s just a recognition of how things change in the game. It makes one wonder if they now see a guy such as Ludvig Åberg and wonder how they’re going to consistently beat him over the next few years the way others looked at them when they arrived.
More changes
Six months into the year and three of the game’s top executives – Keith Pelley, former CEO of the DP World Tour; Seth Waugh, former CEO of the PGA of America; and Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A – have either left their positions or, in the case of Slumbers, plan to at the end of the year. That will leave Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National since 2017, and Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA since 2021, as the longest-tenured leaders among the game’s most influential organizations. Guy Kinnings already has stepped into Pelley’s role and gives the DP World Tour a highly respected and influential leader who knows the game at that level perhaps as well as anyone. Kerry Haigh is serving as interim CEO of the PGA of America while a search for Waugh’s successor is ongoing. Finding someone with Waugh’s grasp of the business of golf and his interpersonal skills will be a challenge, but it’s critical for the organization that is riding a wave of positive momentum. Mark Darbon will succeed Slumbers at the R&A at the end of the year and comes from professional rugby. Darbon has been CEO of England’s Northampton Saints. In announcing Darbon’s hiring, the R&A pointed out that his experience in the global sports world factored into his appointment. Having come through the global pandemic to see golf grow dramatically while also dealing with the impact of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle, the new faces around the game’s leadership table will find themselves trying to maintain the momentum while coping with regulatory challenges that persist. The game is in a good place. Keeping it there will be their challenge.
