![\"Akshay](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Bhatia-and-Shultz-e1766188908305.jpg\")
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Akshay Bhatia reacts with Presleigh Schultz on the 18th green after putting in to win in a playoff against Patrick Rodgers of the United States during the final round of the Barracuda Championship.<\/p>\n
Following a 14th-place finish at the Hero World Challenge<\/a> in the Bahamas, professional golfer Akshay Bhatia and his fianc\u00e9e Presleigh Schultz remained on the islands for a far more personal reason. The couple, who have become a beloved pair in the golf community, tied the knot at the nearby Abaco Club, turning their competitive travel week into a lifelong memory.<\/p>\n In the days following the ceremony, newly released photos of their wedding weekend circulated. The pictures highlighted the joyful celebrations shared among family and close friends.<\/p>\n Yet, before they allowed the world to see inside their magical wedding, the couple paused to share something deeply emotional and heartbreakingly personal. News that reshaped the meaning of their wedding day forever.<\/p>\n Family Heartbreak<\/p>\n Prior to celebrating their marriage publicly, both Bhatia and Schultz revealed through Instagram<\/a> that the on the morning of their wedding, Bhatia\u2019s beloved niece, Mia, had passed away.<\/p>\n Schultz posted<\/a> a serene photo of the Bahamian horizon and wrote a heartfelt tribute:<\/p>\n \u201cBefore we celebrate our love, we must first honor a life. On the morning of our wedding, Akshay\u2019s niece, Mia, went to be with the angels<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething that feels both extraordinary and comforting: each home at the club has its own name, and the one Mia stayed in was called Heaven on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n The couple ended their message honoring Mia\u2019s legacy, writing:<\/p>\n \u201cWe carry her with us always.\u201d<\/p>\n Their decision to move forward with their wedding ceremony, while holding such grief in their hearts, shows not only their strength but the deep unity within their families.<\/p>\n The Couple<\/p>\n Bhatia and Schultz announced their engagement in September 2023, but their connection goes back further. They first met in 2021<\/a> during the Valero Texas Open after Akshay reached out to Presleigh on social media.<\/p>\n \u201dI was playing in Valero Texas Open so I was like \u2018Hey, let\u2019s meet up.\u2019 You know, she\u2019s never watched golf. Her little brother plays a little bit, but didn\u2019t really know what was going on. And, so we met there and now she\u2019s caddying in my first Korn Ferry event as a member, which is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n What started as a simple meeting turned into a partnership that followed Bhatia through early professional struggles and career-changing victories. Schultz even caddied for him<\/a> during his first Korn Ferry Tour start as a member, an experience that strengthened their bond both on and off the course.<\/p>\n Their relationship continued to grow through Bhatia\u2019s rising PGA Tour career. In 2023, he won the Barracuda Championship<\/a>, an emotional win that he credited partly to Schultz\u2019s influence.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been through it all with me,\u201d he said after the victory<\/a>. \u201cI couldn\u2019t imagine my life without her. I couldn\u2019t imagine being on this journey without her by my side.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSydney Jones<\/a> Sydney Jones is a sports writer covering all things Golf, Mariners, and Seahawks for Heavy.com. She has experience covering the intersection of sports and human interest stories for multiple publications. Originally from Montana, she recently relocated to Seattle and is enjoying the new experience of being surrounding by live professional sports and rooting for a common team while writing about them. More about Sydney Jones<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Golf\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t