Akshay Bhatia remembers his first time going to Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters in Georgia, in April 2014 to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt. He was 12 years old, and he can wax rhapsodic about how green the grass was and how the colorful dogwood and azaleas made it one of the most beautiful places he’d ever been. It also triggered his allergies.
“I get super stuffy, sneeze a lot, itchy, watery eyes, all of the above,” he said.
He’s not alone. In March, right before allergy season kicked in, Zyrtec, the over-the-counter allergy relief brand, announced a four-year deal to become the first official allergy relief sponsor of the Tour, and also signed Bhatia and rookie Neal Shipley as player ambassadors of the brand.
It was a natural fit for Bhatia, who has suffered from seasonal allergies for several years, especially during the spring. Taking Zyrtec in tablet form has been part of Bhatia’s defense arsenal since he was 15 to help him stay one step ahead of his allergies on and off the course. He compared taking it daily as the equivalent of applying sunscreen before he goes out to play.
According to Zyrtec, 85 percent of tour players struggle with allergies. Golf season overlaps with allergy season, right in the heart of the schedule, when prolonged exposure to grass and pollen make allergy symptoms especially tough for both spectators and players alike.
“Hours of exposure to grass and pollen can challenge even the best players,” said Jenn Lovell, commercial head of U.S. Allergy for Kenvue.
Golfers are constantly battling unpredictable elements, and for years, the allergy category has been defined by reactive relief. Now, Zyrtec is evolving the category with a new offering. Just like Bhatia's analogy of putting on sunscreen before heading out to the course, he recently added the Allergen Shield Spray to his toolkit, a first-of-its-kind, drug-free nasal mist designed for proactive, everyday defense. It works by forming a lightweight, protective physical gel barrier in the nose – and more specifically the nasal cavity – to help block allergens like pollen, dander, and dust before they trigger symptoms. It's formulated with a naturally derived ingredient (HPMC) and acts as the perfect complementary layer to an existing allergy toolkit.
“As golfers, we're outside all the time and their new nasal shield spray has been something where it's easy, it's quick,” Bhatia said. “Being able to use it one time a day has just truly helped my preparation. It’s one less thing to think about.”
Allergy relief helps Bhatia, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, feel his best on the course. He realized that he performs his best when he feels his best. In addition to getting enough sleep and eating right, Bhatia has made Zyrtec a critical part of how he combats seasonal allergies so that it doesn’t affect him at the course.
“I always have it handy in my golf bag in case anyone needs it and from time to time a player or a caddie will ask me if I have some,” he said. “It’s nice to know I’m not alone because I know most tour players struggle with allergies too.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Akshay Bhatia reveals his secret to beating allergies