15 Year Old Akshay Bhatia Advances in U.S. Open Qualifier

There are many people who try to make it in the U.S. Open, including sports stars like Tony Romo. There are some who attempt to qualify, however, who aren’t even old enough to apply for a driver’s license.

This is exactly what happened this past week at the North Carolina Lonnie Poole Golf Course when Akshay Bhatia finished high enough to move on to a sectional round at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin. If the young buck finishes high enough in this sectional, he will claim one of the final spots in the 2017 U.S. Open. While this won’t be an easy task for a teenager, Bhatia already hung strong with some of the best amateurs in the country.

In his regional matchup, Bhatia shot a two-under round to finish third in the tournament. One of the only players to surpass his score was Davis Womble, a former Wake Forest four-year star golfer, who shot four-under on his day. The other player who was able to card a lower score than the young Bhatia was professional and former Georgia Tech golfer J.T. Griffin. By hanging with these former stars, Bhatia likely won’t be starstruck in Wisconsin.

Congratulations Akshay Bhatia who advances in U.S. Open golf qualifier. pic.twitter.com/AFJ0WJwCAd

— Golfication (@golfication) May 18, 2017

Bhatia’s confidence certainly won’t be lacking either, as he has some pretty lofty goals for his golf career. Not only does he expect to play on the PGA TOUR, he is planning on becoming the first golfer to shoot a 59 during the Masters at Augusta National. And his confidence couldn’t be higher heading into the next qualifier round in Wisconsin after showing what he’s got.

While he certainly has passion and charisma, Bhatia is a bit humbled by the possibility of playing in golf’s next major. “It would be a dream come true,” he said. “The odds of playing in it are very slim but I believe in myself to make it. It would be awesome. But we’ll see.” That confidence along with his easy going attitude should help him stay cool in the biggest event of his life.

While Bhatia is still only 15 years old, he seems to have a strong future ahead of him and everyone should watch for his name as he continues climbing golf’s ranks.

Cover Image via Twitter