An emotional Akshay Bhatia held back tears as he revealed the tragic death of his niece Mia spurred him on to a PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Bhatia had not won on tour for close to two years when he sealed the $4 million first prize in a playoff with Daniel Berger at Bay Hill, Florida on Sunday night.
He was joined on the 18th green by his wife Presleigh, where the pair shared an embrace before he revealed his emotional news in an interview with NBC.
Speaking to reporter Cara Banks, he said: ‘My niece passed away in December, and so I knew she was looking over me this year. You know, I made this win for her, for sure.’
He then mentioned her again in his press conference a few moments later, revealing more about the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her death: ‘When I saw that rainbow on 18, it reminded me of her so that was really cool, a special moment for us.
‘Her name is Mia, she was diagnosed with a pretty rare disease and, you know, she was a fighter for a long time. She wasn’t supposed to make it past a year old and the coolest thing about it was, she was there at our wedding.
Akshay Bhatia kisses his new wife Presleigh after winning his first signature event on the tour
In December, Bhatia posted to Instagram to reveal the tragic news of his niece Mia’s death
‘It was really hard for her to travel… the day of our wedding she passed away and didn’t make it. We tried everything and had a great support system, but there’s so many cool things about that week.
‘She stayed in a house where we got married called “Heaven on Earth”, she loved the sand, got to see everyone. So I told my sister I’ve been thinking about her for a long time since she passed, and I dedicated this win to her.’
Bhatia’s parents were also at the side of the green watching their son, whose victory also marked his first in a PGA Tour signature event, just days out from one of the season’s biggest tournaments – the Players Championship.
Bhatia first posted about his niece Mia on his Instagram page back in December.
Alongside two photos of them together, he wrote: ‘Miss Mia had the best hair, the best smile, and was one of the strongest kids I know.
It is unclear how Mia died and Bhatia’s family have not spoken publicly about the heartbreak
‘I will cherish her and play for her every single day. She meant the world to us and showed so much resilience each and every day. Fly high. I love you.’
He then added an angel and love heart emoji, and the date of her death: December 13. No further details are known about the condition she suffered from. Mia was the daughter of Bhatia’s only sister Rhea.
In an interview with the Raleigh News and Observer, Akshay’s father Sonny revealed that his love of golf began with Rhea, who is four years older than him.
‘He wanted to play really badly at first but was too young,’ he revealed. ‘I said, “Watch your sister and your time will come.” They’ve both been playing golf ever since. Both love golf.’
Bhatia’s big win also earned him a huge $4 million prize as he heads into next week’s Players
Bhatia beat fellow American Daniel Berger on the first playoff hole at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida
On Sunday, in his interview with NBC, Bhatia added: ‘This event, to win for Mr Palmer, for what he’s done for this community, for this tournament.
‘Everyone knows that when you show up to Bay Hill it’s going to be a test, to play one of the hardest golf courses and succeed is really cool, and I can’t thank the tournament enough, can’t thank Calloway enough.’
Bhatia’s first two tournament wins on the PGA Tour came at the Barracuda Championship in July 2023 and the Valero Texas Open in April 2024.
All three of his victories have been narrow and via a playoff, and Sunday’s win came after a Sunday comeback from two shots back.
