Why Akshay Bhatia Says the Mexico Open was a “Big Turning Point" in his Career

Akshay Bhatia was just 21 years old when he teed it up in the 2023 Mexico Open, and when he pegged it on Sunday afternoon, he found himself in the final group alongside world No. 1 Jon Rahm and Tony Finau.

Welcome to the big time, kid.

He didn’t win—Finau went on to claim the title for his sixth (and most recent) PGA TOUR win—but he did learn a lot about himself and what it takes to win on golf’s biggest stage.

“That was a big turning point in my career coming here,” Bhatia said during his pre-tournament press conference Wednesday at VidantaWorld. “I played—it was my first final group and I had the pleasure to play with Jon Rahm, who was No. 1 at the time, and Tony Finau, who ended up winning the tournament.

“It was huge for me to learn and to be in that position. I love this place…Just thankful to kind of be back here and super excited for the week.”

And he should be.

He enters this year’s Mexico Open in great form, fresh off the heels of a T-9 finish at the Genesis Invitational, the TOUR's third signature event of the year. In all, Bhatia is four-for-four making it to the weekend to this point of the season and hasn’t finished worse than T-32.

This week’s field south of the border lacks true star power, leaving Bhatia as the heavy betting favorite.

On a course dubbed a “bomber’s paradise,” the now-23-year-old understands he’s going to have to win playing his own game and not worry about lacking elite length.

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“It's obviously a long golf course,” he said. “Most people that come here are long hitters and I feel like past champions have been longer hitters. But I feel like for me, I'm average off the tee but I feel like my ball-striking when it's really good, it can perform on this golf course and that's why I really like it.”

A win on Sunday wouldn’t only jumpstart his season, but it would propel him up the United States Ryder Cup standings from where he currently sits at No. 26. With a European team that will boast some serious young talent at Bethpage Black, Bhatia has the chance to fill that void for Team USA.

The biennial event will stress any player’s mental toughness, and that’s an aspect of his game that Bhatia is dialing in this season.

“Still trying to just play a little more consistent golf, I think that's what the best players in the world do every week,” he said. “Whether they have their A-game or not, they're still always around the position to try and win the golf tournament. Just try and be there more and more often is the plan.

“And I feel like I work hard enough, and everyone does out here, but it's more so the mental side of just being sharp and being more mentally tough throughout certain weeks, especially when you're feeling tired or whatever it may be. The circumstances might not be perfect but you've still got to maneuver your way through each event. It's kind of the main goal for the year is to be more mentally tough.”

The opportunity for Bhatia in Mexico is clear and something that doesn’t come around often. We can't wait to see if he takes advantage.