Golf as a sport has been evolving at a rapid pace across digital platforms. However, it appears one corner of golf’s modern media boom still doesn’t appeal to Rory McIlroy. He suggested he still prefers traditional tournament competition over the fast-growing world of YouTube golf content. And after McIlroy cleared his stance, PGA Tour pro Akshay Bhatia took a stand for YouTube golf.

“I rarely read comments. Sometimes I’ll see some of the hate, but 95% of it for me is support and love. So it’s great for our brands. It’s great to showcase our personalities more. I think TGL is great for that, but also YouTube and social media. It’s just fun for everyone to kind of see that viewpoint of us players,” said Bhatia while in conversation with Sam “Riggs” Bozoian of Fore Play podcast.

McIlroy’s comments quickly sparked discussion across the golf world. More so because online creators and influencers have built massive audiences around the sport. Channels featuring personalities like Grant Horvat, Dan Rapaport, and others have attracted millions of viewers and introduced a new, entertainment-driven side of the game.

Speaking in a different direction than Rory, Bhatia openly embraced the digital shift. He even highlighted how social media and YouTube collaborations are helping players connect with fans in ways traditional broadcasts never could.

“I’ve always been in love with social media. That’s pretty much all I do if I’m not on the golf course. I think it’s just great to have junior golfers and fans be able to understand our lives a little bit more. A lot of people can be very to themselves and private, which I totally understand.”

“But it’s funny how many people, when I go to a tournament, say, “When’s this video coming out? When are you going to do a video with Bob Does Sports? When are you going to do a video with Grant or whoever?” That’s where the generation of us is and where it’s going. So I love it,” added Bhatia, sharing his opinion.

Bhatia stood with this stance even as he had to go through the negative sides of it.

Akshay Bhatia brushes off cheating accusations over long putter stance criticism

While Bhatia has been seeing a constant rise in his career, he has recently been accused of cheating. Many fans have accused him of anchoring the butt of his grip to his chest while putting.

Well, Akshay Bhatia prefers to use a long putter. Several golf fans have pointed out that, when putting, he holds the putter so the top end touches or stays fixed against his chest. Such a stance keeps the putter more stable and helps him control the stroke.

Reflecting on the accusations, Bhatia stated, “Yeah, I mean, I don’t care. I know people do it for views.”

Then, explaining his stance, Bhatia added, “Because it’s three to four inches from my chest. Like, I’m not built like Adam Scott. I’m not built like Lucas Glover. And so, yeah, it looks like it touches my shirt. But I had a great conversation with the rules committee last week, and my integrity, like, there’s obviously a lot of integrity on this sport. So, yeah, people can say what they want to say. If I wasn’t playing well, no one would say anything.”

He dismissed the negative comments. And offering a solution to the golf enthusiasts, he added that if fans want him to go shorter, then maybe he will have to choose to just bend down more.