Akshay Bhatia Masters 2026 preview highlights strong recent form at Augusta National

Indian-origin Akshay Bhatia arrived at the 90th Masters with strong recent form worldwide. The 24-year-old has one win and four other Top-16 results in six starts.

The tournament begins at Augusta National Golf Club. Bhatia also has three PGA Tour titles, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational Signature event.

Despite those results, Bhatia missed the weekend at the Hero Indian Open last month. That event marked a first visit to India, linked to family roots. Even so, recent finishes in the United States kept Bhatia in the conversation as an outsider. The field also includes major winners and past champions.

Masters form guide: Akshay Bhatia results and recent finishes

Bhatia placed T-3 at the Phoenix Open and T-6 at AT&T Pebble Beach. Bhatia then finished T-16 at the Genesis and T-13 at the Players Championships.

Bhatia began 2026 with missed cuts at the American Express. Bhatia also missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance.

Players often peak in the first three months before the first Major. Bhatia's run fitted that pattern after a slow start to 2026. Bhatia joined Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links team in the TGL league. Last year, Bhatia finished T-3 at the Players and later reached the Tour Championships.

Masters at Augusta: Akshay Bhatia record and opening group

Bhatia's two Masters appearances brought mid-pack finishes. Bhatia was T-35 in 2024 and T-42 in 2025 at Augusta. Bhatia will play the first round with Tommy Fleetwood. The group also includes former Masters champion Patrick Reed.

"Yeah, I mean 11 is a new green so thats already going to be firm. Just makes your landing zones a lot smaller. You have to be very precise and miss in the right spot. Definitely makes it trickier. And then when the grass dries up here, it gets realistic. Also chipping around some of those greens can be really tough. "

"You just got to have some creativity when it comes to trying to make fours and fives. You know, on 11, 12 if you make three every day youre gaining a lot; 13 plays a little easier with that way. With it being firmer goes a little further and you have a shorter club in.

"I think 11 is obviously a really cool hole. Its just one of the hardest holes I think we play all year. Then 12 might be the best 150 yard par-3 in the world. Its so hard. You can look like a fool, you can also look great hitting it to 40 feet. And thats whats great about the Masters," Bhatia added.

Masters contenders: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy background

The starters include Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. Rory McIlroy enters as the defending champion. McIlroy had strong momentum in 2025 after two wins at Pebble Beach. McIlroy also won The Players that year.

McIlroy has not won this year and was T-2 at Genesis. McIlroy withdrew from the Palmer event and later finished T-46 at Players. McIlroy has not played since then and four weeks have passed. That gap leaves uncertainty around the title defence.

Masters expectations: Scottie Scheffler form line and record

Scheffler has won the Masters twice in the last three years. Recent results included a win at the American Express and T-3 at Phoenix. Scheffler then went T-4 at Pebble Beach and T-12 at Genesis. Scheffler later finished T-24 at Palmer and T-22 at Players.

Scheffler is a four-time Major winner with 14 PGA Tour victories. Scheffler also has two wins at the Hero World Challenge. Those numbers keep Scheffler among the leading favourites for another Green Jacket. Expectations remain high given Scheffler's sustained dominance over recent seasons.

Masters field: Indian-American and Indo-British players update

Another Indian-American who drew attention is Sahith Theegala. Theegala will not play this year after injuries in 2025. The setbacks stopped any late push to qualify. Indo-British Aaron Rai has also had a slow year while recovering from a neck injury.

Rai's best result was T-23 at a Cognizant event. Rai then missed the cut at the Players and Valspar. With Theegala absent and Rai short on form, focus among Indian-origin players shifted to Bhatia. Bhatia's recent finishes and Augusta experience kept hopes alive for a strong week.