Is Akshay Bhatia qualified to play in the PGA Tour next week? The 22-year-old had an amazing season in 2024 getting the 2nd PGAT victory of his career. Facing the likes of Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, and Max Homa; Bhatia battled intensely for 4 rounds to capture the 2024 Valero Texas Open at the TPC San Antonio.

The Indian-American golfer also managed to have another runner-up finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a 4th place in the Hero World Challenge. And with the 2025 season of the PGA Tour set to begin in just over a week, it seems that all his hard work has paid off.

Akshay Bhatia is set to feature in the season-opening signature event of 2025, The Sentry in Hawaii. This will be the 2nd time the Los Angeles local will be playing in the tournament. His first appearance in the signature event was in 2024. Bhatia finished at T14 with an impressive score of 22-under par 270. He performed exceptionally during the first 3 rounds of the event with a -20. However, a bogey and double bogey in the last round dropped him down from 2nd to 14th.

Bhatia will be looking to correct his mistakes and try to win the signature event in 2025. Considering the fact that Scottie Scheffler & Rory McIlroy have already withdrawn from the tournament, the 22-year-old will have a little less competition to face in The Sentry 2025. Scheffler has been ruled out due to an injury while the reason behind McIlroy’s absence is uncertain.

So who else can challenge the young Bhatia in the Sentry 2025? Let’s explore the field for the tournament.

Akshay Bhatia’s competition at The Sentry 2025

Yes, Scottie Scheffler & Rory McIlroy will not be playing the 2025 edition of The Sentry. But Akshay Bhatia has still a few tough competitors to overcome if he aims to lift the title come January 5. The likes of Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, and Collin Morikawa will still be on the course fighting for the title. The field will also include Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama. The world no. 2, Schauffele, had an amazing 2024 and will be looking to kick off the new year with another title. Matsuyama also won 2 titles last season and will definitely be hungry for another victory at the beginning of 2025.

As far as Hovland, Morikawa, and Thomas go, all three individuals got extremely close to winning championships in the 2024 season. However, they couldn’t manage to secure a single title while still finishing in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup. There is no doubt that they would want to break their losing streak and lift the title in Hawaii.

The Sentry is scheduled to be played from January 2 to 5, 2025, and is packed with an impressive entry list. Fans can watch Akshay Bhatia and the other top pros on the PGA Tour live on the Golf Channel.