Akshay Bhatia mixes a four-year-old Rogue ST driver with a returned Jailbird 380 at Bay Hill
akshay bhatia fired a second-round 66 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational to move to eight under and sit alone in second, all while playing a near-full Callaway set that features a Rogue ST driver released in 2022.
Akshay Bhatia second at Arnold Palmer Invitational after a 66
Bhatia carded the lowest round of the day, a 66 in the second round at Bay Hill, to reach eight under and trail the leader by five shots. The 24-year-old, who turned professional in 2019, sits behind Daniel Berger, who moved to 13 under after a second-round 68.
Near-full Callaway set, an older Rogue ST driver and putter switches
akshay bhatia’s bag blends Callaway and a few other brands. He briefly used the new Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max driver in the first tournament of 2026 but returned to the Callaway Rogue ST—one of the oldest drivers still on tour, released in 2022—which was in play for his two PGA Tour wins at the 2023 Barracuda Championship and the 2024 Valero Texas Open. The Rogue ST head in his bag is set at 8. 5°, paired with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X shaft.
His fairway wood mix has shifted in 2026; at his most recent start he carried a TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood and a Callaway Apex UW '25, with Fujikura Ventus Black shafts (8 X in the Qi10, 10 X in the UW '25). He had used a Callaway prototype mini driver earlier but left it out of the bag. Bhatia’s iron set runs from 5-iron to pitching wedge with Callaway Apex TCBs and a Callaway X Forged UT playing a 4-iron loft; KBS $-Taper 125 S+ shafts are in both models.
Around the greens, his Opus SP wedges come in 50°, 54° and 60° configurations and feature copious lead tape for head balance, paired with KBS Hi-Rev 2. 0 135 X shafts. On the greens, Bhatia has rotated through Odyssey’s Jailbird range: a Jailbird 1/2 Ball was in play earlier in 2026, but at the Arnold Palmer Invitational his Jailbird 380 returned.
Presleigh Schultz caddied in 2022 and later married Bhatia
Off the course, Bhatia’s partner Presleigh Schultz has been part of his journey. The couple met while he was on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022; Schultz caddied for him when he won the The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January 2022 and continued caddying on the Korn Ferry Tour before he moved to a professional caddie. The pair later married in a Bahamian ceremony.
Bhatia’s two PGA Tour victories—at the 2023 Barracuda Championship and the 2024 Valero Texas Open—remain part of his recent resume as he seeks another win at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational has completed two rounds; Bhatia remains in contention at eight under as the tournament moves into its remaining rounds over the coming days.
