By Arthur Utley
NEWPORT NEWS – Akshay Bhatia has shown an uncanny ability to post record scores in a round of golf and in the tournaments in which he plays and wins.
Bhatia was a member of the inaugural U.S. Junior Presidents Cup team last year, and he is in good position to be a member of this year’s U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team that heads to France in September.
A lean, lanky, left-handed 16-year-old from Wake Forest, N.C., Bahtia did it again Tuesday in the 36-hole U.S. Amateur qualifier at James River Country Club. He shot a 6-under-par 64 in the morning round and added a 4 under 66 in the afternoon to capture the qualifying medal with a 10-under score of 130.
Bhatia claimed one of the two spots available at the qualifier for the national tournament that will be held Aug. 13-19 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif.
The second qualifying slot went to 20-year-old Brandon Weaver (Loudoun G&CC) of Purcellville who fell one stroke shy of Bahtia. The Longwood University golfer shot 64-67 for a 9-under total of 131.
The first alternate is Patrick Gareiss (VSGA Junior Circuit), 17, of Chesapeake. He returned 67-68-135.
Qi wen Wong, who equaled Bahtia’s afternoon 66, leap-frogged several players to grab the second alternate slot with a 36-hole total of 136. Wong, from Singapore and attended the IMG Academy, just finished his freshman year as a member of the Duke University golf team. He was the 2014 Scott Robertson Memorial (Roanoke) tournament winner.
Bhatia and Weaver will be competing in the U.S. Amateur for the first time. Bhatia also has qualified for next week’s U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., and he played in last year’s U.S. Four-Ball.
Named the Carolinas Golf Association and Tar Heel Youth Golf Association Player of the Year in 2017, Bhatia logged six birdies and didn’t make a bogey in the opening 64. He carded five birdies against a lone bogey in the second round.
“In the morning the greens were rolling really good; the wind was down so not much trouble the first 18,” he said. “The second 18 definitely got breezier and the greens weren’t rolling as good, but I’m proud of myself. I held it together, and I’m glad to get through.”
He says self-belief is what makes the low scores come.
“You know, it’s just kind of telling myself I belong in situations, in qualifiers like this so definitely self-belief and also my putting has improved a ton [in the past two years].”
Bhatia chose to qualify in Virginia “because it fit with the schedule. There was no specific reason to come to Virginia, but I’m really glad I did because the course is really nice and the greens were very good.”
Weaver’s first-round 64 consisted of six birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. He played the sixth through the 11th holes in birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, eagle, birdie.
In the afternoon round, he made par on the first four holes; played the fifth through 11th holes with five birdies and two bogeys; and finished with seven consecutive pars.