PGA Tour golfer Akshay Bhatia had his late niece, Mia, on his mind when he won his first tour event in two years on Sunday, March 8, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill, Florida.
“My niece passed away in December, and so I knew she was looking over me this year,” an emotional Bhatia, 24, told NBC’s Cara Banks in an on-course interview. “You know, I made this win for her, for sure.”
Akshay defeated Daniel Berger in a playoff to win the $4 million first prize, as his wife, Presleigh, joined him on the 18th green to celebrate.
The golfer brought up his niece again at the press conference minutes later.
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“When I saw that rainbow on [the 18th hole], it reminded me of her, so that was really cool, a special moment for us,” he said. “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 and Presleigh met in 2021 when Akshay messaged her on Instagram to ask her out. He proposed in 2023 and the two married in December 2025.
Mia was able to travel to the Abaco Club in the Bahamas where the wedding took place, but she died at one of the on-site homes at the club the day of the wedding.
“It was really hard for her to travel… the day of our wedding she passed away and didn’t make it,” Akshay said. “We tried everything and had a great support system, but there’s so many cool things about that week.”
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He explained, “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.”
Mia suffered from Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency (PDCD), a rare mitochondrial disorder that causes neurological problems and a buildup of lactic acid in the blood, according to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. Those who are born with PDCD rarely live past childhood and there is no known cure.
On the day of Akshay and Presleigh’s wedding, Presleigh posted a tribute to Mia via Instagram.
“On the morning of our wedding, Akshay’s niece, Mia, went to be with the angels,” she wrote in the caption. “The night before, she was surrounded by everyone who loved her wrapped in peace, comfort, and so much love. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, and impossible to fully understand all at once. Mia lived with PDCD, a very rare disease, and doctors never expected her to live past her first birthday. But she defied every expectation and celebrated her sixth birthday this year. She was strong, joyful, and deeply loved. In her final moments, she was in paradise and now she is in heaven.”
