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- Akshay Bhatia WITB (25th May, 2025) - What's In The Bag? The Charles Schwab Challenge @ Colonial Country Club
Akshay Bhatia WITB (25th May, 2025) - What's In The Bag? The Charles Schwab Challenge @ Colonial Country Club
The Rogue Max LS is the control freak of the two drivers—low spin, tight dispersion, all business. With the Ventus Black 7X, he’s got one of the stiffest, anti-left setups on Tour. It’s like giving a race car driver a go-kart that still hits 315.
Akshay Bhatia: The 2025 PGA Tour Season So Far
Akshay Bhatia walks like he’s gliding, swings like he’s surfing, and carries himself like a Gen Z anime protagonist who accidentally wandered into a PGA Tour field and decided to go low for vibes. At just 23, Bhatia is firmly in his “I told you so” era—and the receipts are piling up in 2025.
This year kicked off with a bang. Bhatia came into the Sony Open looking like the kind of guy who would either shoot 62 or forget to check in at the tee box—and somehow, he did both. He opened with a sizzling 63 and followed it with… well, a reminder that consistency is still optional in his personal brand of chaos golf. But when it clicks? Lord have mercy.
The highlight so far: a win at the Zurich Classic with his partner—because of course Bhatia’s first team win would come at the most unhinged event on Tour. Matching fits, fist bumps, and four-ball fireworks? Bhatia was born for it.
His T5 at the WM Phoenix Open was less about the golf and more about the fit check. Akshay rocked joggers, a hoodie, and the kind of “I’ll drop 63 then go vape in the parking lot” swagger that made the Scottsdale crowd fall in love. Gen Z golf Twitter practically exploded.
His Masters debut? Tied 32nd, but with more camera time than most top-10 finishers. Amen Corner didn’t know what hit it when Bhatia flopped in a chip with a one-handed finish, winked at the camera, and then birdied the next hole like it was a 9-hole muni match.
And let’s talk about the stats. His strokes gained approach has improved by nearly +0.6 since last season, and he’s hovering just outside the top 20 in total strokes gained. That’s not just noise; that’s a signal—and it’s coming in loud and clear: Akshay is no longer just a quirky story. He’s a real threat.
His fanbase is growing by the minute, mostly comprised of teenage golfers, sneakerheads, and 40-year-old dads who wish they had his wrist hinge. Golf purists still don’t know what to make of him. He doesn’t carry himself like a Tour vet. He plays like a TikTok reel. But he’s here. And he’s balling.
What’s In Akshay Bhatia’s Bag
Let’s be clear: Akshay’s WITB setup reads like a mad scientist’s experiment. Two drivers? A 10X hybrid shaft? Jailbird putter with a custom grip? If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention. Let’s break down the gear that’s powering golf’s most stylish disruptor.
Driver 1: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS 9°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft
This is Akshay’s fairway finder. The Rogue Max LS is the control freak of the two drivers—low spin, tight dispersion, all business. With the Ventus Black 7X, he’s got one of the stiffest, anti-left setups on Tour. It’s like giving a race car driver a go-kart that still hits 315.
Driver 2: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D 9°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7X
The “launch it into orbit” setup. When Akshay wants carry yardage and doesn’t care if the fairway's in another zip code, he grabs the Paradym Ai Smoke. It’s forgiving, hot off the face, and perfectly counterbalances the Rogue's stoicism. You know he means business when both drivers make the bag.
3 Wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 15°, Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft
Because one stick to bomb the horizon isn't enough. This 3W is the Excalibur of his fairway arsenal. Ventus Black 8X adds the beef for high-speed strike control—and he nukes it. It’s a missile launcher disguised as a golf club.
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype 19°, Fujikura Ventus Black 10X shaft
Yes. 10X. That’s not a typo, that’s Akshay saying “I swing fast, and I want this thing to feel like a steel beam with a golf face.” The Apex UW Prototype is basically a crossover wood-iron hybrid on steroids. You can land planes with this thing.
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT 21°, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW), KBS $-Taper 125 S+ shafts
The UT 21° is his gap-filler off the tee and into par 5s. His Apex TCBs are raw—like, literally raw finish and metaphorically raw ball-striking. Paired with $-Taper 125 S+ shafts, they’re a no-nonsense setup that delivers Tour-level feedback and precision. These irons don’t miss, and when they do, they punish you less than you deserve.
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50° (10S), 54° (10S), 60° (08C), KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X shafts
Akshay’s short game is as buttery as his wardrobe. These wedges have the grindiest sole setups out there and paired with KBS Hi-Rev 135 X, he can control trajectory like he’s coding spin. If you’re wondering how he hits those one-hop-and-stop chips? It’s this setup.
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380, SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Heavy. Face-balanced. Jailbird. The 380g monster that took over golf in 2023 is still alive and well in Bhatia’s hands. With a Zenergy Split grip, this is a pure feel weapon—dead straight, ice-cold rollout. And don’t forget, Rickie Fowler won with it first, but Akshay made it cool again.
Grips: Iomic
Because of course Akshay plays Iomics. He’s not out here gripping Tour Velvets like a 52-year-old club champ. These give him feel, tack, and style points.
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Fast, consistent, soft-ish around the greens. The Chrome Tour matches Akshay’s game perfectly—speed and spin with just enough softness to do whatever the hell he wants from 30 yards in.
Akshay’s Prospects at the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial Country Club, meet Akshay Bhatia—a man who plays golf like it's an extreme sport and shows up to Texas with two drivers and zero chill. This week’s Charles Schwab Challenge is the perfect storm for Bhatia to drop a deep run—and maybe scare the clubhouse leaders with that anime swing of his.
Colonial isn’t your bomb-and-gouge setup. It’s a shotmaker’s track. Narrow fairways, tight doglegs, tiny greens, and vibes from the 1940s. Bhatia? He plays like he’s trying to speedrun 18 holes before the caffeine wears off—but don’t get it twisted. He has finesse when it counts.
His iron play has quietly become elite. Top 10 in proximity from 150-175 yards? Check. Colonial’s par 4s live in that yardage zone. He’ll be pulling 8-irons and smooth 9s into turtle-shell greens—and if he’s dialled, he’ll have birdie looks all day.
His putting is a rollercoaster, but on bentgrass (Colonial’s green surface), he rolls it way better than on poa or Bermuda. If the Jailbird heats up, he’s going nuclear.
The concern? Driving accuracy. Colonial doesn’t reward chaos off the tee, and Akshay has a history of sending balls on sightseeing tours. But with two drivers in the bag, look for him to lean on the Rogue Max LS to thread needles instead of launching moonballs. If he plays smart, he’s got a Sunday tee time in his future.
And let’s not overlook swagger. Akshay thrives on energy—and a TCU frat row crowd screaming “Let’s go Akshay!” might be just the juice he needs. Don’t be surprised if he walks in putts, hits stingers, and ends up in a playoff with some poor soul who brought one driver and no drip.
Prediction? Top 10 finish and at least three moments that make Golf Twitter melt.
Driver 1: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS 9°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft
Driver 2: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D 9°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7X
3 Wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 15°, Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype 19°, Fujikura Ventus Black 10X shaft
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT 21°, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW), KBS $-Taper 125 S+ shafts
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50° (10S), 54° (10S), 60° (08C), KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X shafts
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380, SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Grips: Iomic
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
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