The movings and shakings between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour continue to rock the offseason. Multiple players have switched sides in the past few months, while others have confirmed they are staying put.
Akshay Bhatia now appears to be in the latter group. According to a new report, Bhatia turned down a high-priced over from LIV to remain on the PGA Tour.
Here’s what you need to know.
Akshay Bhatia turns down ‘lucrative’ LIV contract: Report
Bhatia is primed to have one of the brightest futures of any young pro golfer. Still only 23, the California native is already a household name among golf fans.
After spending time on mini tours, Bhatia won in his first-ever Korn Ferry Tour start at the 2022 Bahamas Great Exhuma Classic.
But 2023 was the year he broke through in a big way. He earned partial status on the PGA Tour early in 2023 thanks to a few strong finishes via sponsor’s exemptions. And then he made it count.
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Shortly thereafter, he captured his first Tour victory at the 2023 Barracuda Championship. He earned his second Tour win at the 2024 Valero Texas Open, eventually finishing T23 in the final FedEx Cup standings that year.
While he didn’t win again in 2025, Bhatia improved his FedEx Cup finish to 13th. He’s currently ranked 46th in the Official World Golf Ranking
All of that is to say that he’s one of the better PGA Tour pros alive, and he would be a huge get for LIV Golf.
But Bhatia won’t be going anywhere in 2026.
According to a report from Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, Bhatia was recently offered a “lucrative contract” to leave the PGA Tour and join LIV Golf. But Bhatia chose to reject that offer and will continue his PGA Tour career this season.
With that, Bhatia joins Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im as high-profile PGA Tour winners who have turned down LIV offers for 2026.
Brooks Koepka, one of LIV’s biggest stars, is leaving LIV, though his next move is not known. PGA Tour winner Thomas Detry, on the other hand, will reportedly move to LIV this season.
