Theegala shot 62 in his first round as a pro before finishing in a tie for third, taking in about a $1,000 profit after the entry fee and expenses. My mom, too, sacrificed so much for me, but my dads definitely the reason Im playing professional golf today. In 2001, Karuna, his wife and Sahiths mother, began a battle with thyroid cancer, so her mother, Vijaya Laxmi, came to the United States to help with the children. He won the 2015 Orange County Championship and the 2014 Coronado City Championship. Actually, it's likely the vast majority of people tuning in have never even heard of him. Hopefully things work out, and by the grace of God, hell do wonderful. If we talk about Sahith Theegalas physical measurement then we can say that his height is 6 feet 3 inches and his weight is not known. He was a three-time all-American golfer at Pepperdine and made his professional PGA Tour debut in June 2020 at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. Literally 20 minutes from campus, so I had a bunch of Pepperdine people coming out too. As a result he has always been the one family and friends come to for buying advice and tips. He was on the honor roll all four years. 318 player in the world waited there because the No. There, he made a birdie on the par-5 to get to 4-under on his round. And when hes not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. Rather than saying, Who are you? he just said, Youre not supposed to be here. He just assumed that because of the color of our skin, Muralidhar said. He was the San Gabriel Valley Tribunes Area Player of the Year as a junior after winning the Hacienda League title and reaching the CIF state tournament. His scoliosis creates the problem of so much side bend on the downswing, and it really comes to light with the driver, not so much with the irons, Hunter said. He cites Riviera, Martis Camp and Alotian Club as three of his favourite golf courses. In January, two days after Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, Theegala wore a Bryant jersey over his collared shirt as he finished off a college win at the Southwestern Invitational. Both are from Highland Park High in Texas. Theres probably one shot a tournament that Im just, Alright, Im going to let him do it, I guess, and Ive never regretted it, Smith said. Full Swing Episode 7 Recap: Mito Pereira and Sahith Theegala suffer the And while hes still looking for that first professional victory, hes got things working just fine one year into his pro career. Inside Sahith Theegala's mixed bag of Ping clubs - PGATour It was all in an attempt to keep his game sharp, a very different process than most rising stars in the game who are often overburdened with instruction and over-reliant on technology to aid in improvement. This actually isnt even Theegalas first U.S. Open appearance, although it is his first appearance in a major championship as a professional as hes only been getting paid to play golf for about a year, splitting his time between the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour. Maybe it was his underdog story of a rookie playing on a sponsors exemption, or the look of wide-eyed wonder on his bearded face, or the way his cool name rolls off the tongue, but the raucous galleries at the frat-house-party-like WM Phoenix Open grabbed ahold of Sahith Theegala last weekend and wouldnt let go. Seans net worth is $ 1 million. His driving is a little more streaky and gets a little crooked sometimes, Beard said. He currently lives in Chino Hills, California. Hes giving high-fives to the people walking by. Now we tell you about his religion is not known. Hunter knew if he could do that with no form, he was going to be special when he gained it. POINTS WON WEIGHT ADJ. Hes just looking at the shot and trying to come up with the best situation to get it in the hole, said Roy Cootes, Theegalas college roommate. Theegala, 22, who is Indian-American, now faces the biggest challenge of any amateurs path, turning pro, as one of the smattering of nonwhite players in a traditionally conservative sport. In the background, you can hear a young fan asking for Pereira's . Sahith Theegala, his first round on Thursday suspended due to darkness, went back to the house, ordered Thai and watched basketball. In 2016-17, he had five top-10 finishes, including his first collegiate victory, and was again an All-WCC First Team selection, also earning All-American third-team honors. His sponsors include PING, FootJoy, Unisys Corporation, Linksoul and BURN180. Search instead in Creative? Even these days, Theegalas pre-round warm-up routine catches his caddie off guard featuring shots that no other TOUR pro practices on the range before a round. He dropped for a penalty stroke, chipped to within 14 feet but missed that putt for par, settling for a bogey. One of his hobbies away from the golf course is chess. but Theegala hits shanks on purpose for fun. Its not like Im just playing to make the cut or anything like that. But Theegalas game was not as sharp as hed hoped during his PGA Tour debut at the Travelers Championship last weekend, as he shot even par over two rounds and missed the cut. He also oversees all Tour player content as well. Sahith Theegala Parents, Ethnicity, Wiki, Bio, Age, Girlfriend, Career I was looking at my assistant like, Hes going to be OK, Beard recalled, with a laugh. So we want to tell you he is a professional Journalistalong with being a singer so his earnings are very good. But his ball hit a knoll 20 yards short of the green, kicked hard to the left and went into the water. From a young age, he was very creative, as Muralidhar puts it. It literally couldnt have worked out better. Sahith Theegala - Wikipedia Theegala made one final start in 2020, missing the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, His Indian heritage comes from his parents. Visit our corporate site. 7. BA1 1UA. Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala is of Asian heritage. The 2023 Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase field featured 19 players representing 15 schools. Theegala rarely, if ever, hits a straight shot, and that started when he was just 7 as Rick Hunter tells it. He knew it, I knew it and his parents knew from a very young age that he was born to be a TOUR player, Hunter said. Anyone can read what you share. As an amateur golfer, Theegala won the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2020, the 2019 SGCA Amateur Championship, the 2017 Sahalee Players Championship, the 2017 Morse Cup with the Southern California Golf Association at the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. I found out that he crashed at the beginning of our practice round for our home tournament, and the craziest part was, where he crashed was in Calabasas, and thats where my apartment is. He led the PGA Tour in birdies made for the 2012-22 season with a total of 433. Thirty-five years ago, Muralidhar made the most important step in the familys journey, when he immigrated to the United States from Hyderabad, India. He graduated in 2020 and also turned professional in the same year. Everyone raves about Theegalas short game and iron play, but his demeanor on the course is an equal weapon, according to those close to him. Working with golf gear and equipment over the last five years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes. 15. A post shared by Sahith Reddy Theegala (@srtheegala). But these last couple rounds and last couple days really gave me a lot of confidence to tell me that, hey, I do belong up here.. Showing Editorial results for sahith theegala. He called it a great learning experience, which didnt change his lofty expectations going forward. 4. Gregory Odom Jr. of Howard University, the 2023 Collegiate Showcase Pathway Player, pulled hard but finished in a tie for third place with a round of 1-over-par 72. Hes got three steps of green to work with over a bunker off a downslope off of rocks and sand, and he just opens up a lob wedge and swings away and hits it to 2 feet. Hunter and Theegala have realized that he offsets the side bend best with the driver when he swings with a slower tempo, which the two have been working regularly on. He returned to the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge but missed the cut. He also previously worked for World Soccer and Rugby World magazines. 20 Things You Didn't Know About Sahith Theegala | Golf Monthly His parents profession is not known. Why Sahith Theegala is comfortable at Sanderson Farms Championship For Hunter, it was when he came to him as a 6-year-old for his first lesson. Kon Hai Alakh Pandey aka Physics Wallah Wife Shivani Dubey? Personal life [ edit] Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. He took birth in Orange, California, U.S. Viktor Hovland aces the 7th hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Youll never meet anyone who doesnt like him. Sahith Theegala World number 31 Statistics 31st Current OWGR Rank 30th Best OWGR Rank 2.5229 Average Points 131.18825 Total Points 52 Divisor 58 Actual Events Played EventsForm GuideBest Performances Download Player's Ranking History Download Player's Strokes Gained Counting Events EVENT TOUR WEEK YEAR FINISH Pos. Seemingly everyone who has played with him or seen him play has a story, and the plot follows the same script: Theegala escapes from a near-impossible. 2. What You Didn't Know About the Golfer's Nationality and Ethnicity He finished in the top 20 in each of the eight tournaments in which he played and had six top-10s, including two wins. 17. Roy Cootes, Theegalas best friend and teammate at Pepperdine, said hes seen some crazy escapes from his buddy, but none left him speechless as much as what he saw in a practice round in Las Vegas one day at Southern Highlands Golf Club. And the next tee shot, I put it under the lip of the fairway bunker, and Im like, OK, I cant do much about that, right? Hes super likable and doesnt give off any arrogant vibe. At least once every two years, his father, Muralidhar, who was born in Hyderabad, India, made it a point to bring the family back to India, where his parents still live. He continued his season with a tied-for-sixth finish at the Genesis Invitational in February 2023. That the fans mispronounced Theegalas name didnt particularly matter. To put it in basketball parlance, he just kept shooting. The No. 2023 Getty Images. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Theegala was born in Fullerton, Calif., eight months after Woods won his first professional major championship at the 1997 Masters, and moved to Chino Hills outside of Los Angeles when he was about 2 years old. He got to play St Andrews at the 150th Open. Its what separates good from great, and Cootes has seen it over and over from his buddy during their days at Pepperdine, where Theegala swept all three major college Player of the Year awards as a senior Jack Nicklaus Award, Fred Haskins Award and Ben Hogan Award. Players had until 5 p.m. Hes genuine, and it shows how he carries himself. But I believe that he was born to do something great.. And when Sahith got old enough to understand what was going on, he would cry when the Lakers lost. If his swing feels off, he just kind of knows, I can salvage something today. Ive seen him turn a lot of rounds that should have been 73s or 74s into 1- or 2-under, Smith said. Sahith Theegala PGA TOUR Player Profile, Stats, Bio, Career Smith is still not sure if he does it to keep his body guessing, just for fun or a challenge or for a specific reason, but its a much more fun range session to watch than the robotic mix of lasers that he sees from the pros next to him. 1,264 Sahith Theegala Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 1,264 sahith theegala stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 3. By Sapana Bajracharya July 21, 2022 02:35 PM; Sahith Theegala is a professional golfer from United States. He fell in love with it immediately. The PGA Tour, in a memo obtained by ESPN, told its members that, starting in 2024, eight designated events will have fields between 70 to 80 players and no cuts. 14 . Just have fun., When he was younger, he would try to push himself too hard, and I told him, Just keep playing your game. 6. It doesnt matter if its from out of the woods and around trees or getting out of jail greenside; they all end the same. 7 and sank one of the most beautiful aces youll ever see. How much so? Breakout Golfers to Watch in 2023: Sahith Theegala Its why he has been able to carry over his success from Pepperdine, where he was a three-time All-American, to the PGA Tour. And he didnt.. WM Phoenix Open: Spurred by family support, Sahith Theegala records life-changing finish. Also an honor roll student in each of his four years of high school, he graduated in 2015 and took his talents to Pepperdine, where he became the top college player in the country. So, we learned then how to fade and draw a ball. He would also birdie the 18th hole on his way to . The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. USA Today Adam Hadwin and Harry Higgs matched Koepka, also the 2015 winner, at 66. He grew up playing on public courses in Chino and calls El Prado Golf Course . Theegala walked off the 18th green and into the arms of his parents, Murli and Karuna, with whom he still lives. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 10 and made four straight birdies on Nos. I definitely think that Asian heritage part is a big part of why Ive reached this point.. He could always get away with stuff like that because he knew how to shape it out of trouble.. He can hit it all over the map, and he can shoot the exact same score as if he was striping it. Sahith Theegala Parents Background: Golfer Ethnicity and Nationality Hell miss a shot and drop his club. Like millions of other people, Kobe was my sports idol, Theegala told GOLF.com in a spring of 2020 interview. It wasnt uncommon for him to drive it through the fairway intentionally on the first hole, so his second shot could be around a tree just because thats him and thats what he practiced, and he had that shot in his bag, Watkins said with a laugh. He also played at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and finished with the top 10, the Sanderson Farms Championship in October 2021, and got his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour. He had little fear blasting it through the fairway into the woods because he liked shaping it around trees anyways. I was asking him about the accuracy of the show The Queens Gambit, and he knew all the moves they were doing on the show.. Its incredible.. At the age of 19, he made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 Genesis Open in Los Angeles - three years before turning professional. Showing Editorial results for sahith theegala. But for Murli, ensuring he reached his potential was easy because Sahith always wanted it for himself and always loved playing from an early age. He then hit a 6-iron onto the par-5 green and two-putted for birdie to start his collegiate career. He stands at a height of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) tall. Theegala grabbed the lead in Scottsdale with a second-round 64. In light of whats going on, Im proud of who I am and what Im adding to the golf community in terms of diversity, Theegala said. Gary Hoskins. Afterward, Theegala was asked about the finish to his first round on Friday morning, when he had played two holes and bogeyed both. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. The incident did not thwart Theegalas development to become the top male collegiate golfer in the country, a distinction he earned this season before his No. I dont know what excited him, but he was so excited, Murli recalled. So that was the best, the gorilla chasing the bananas.. I grew up watching Kobe and the Lakers with my dad. Speaking beside the eighth green, Muralidhar pauses mid-sentence when Sahith begins lining up a putt. Yeah, it means a lot to me, and hopefully, I can keep being someone that they can root for.. PGA Tour pro Sahith Theegala hits quite simply bizarre shot at QBE I was like, Yeah, sure, and I thought Id beat him easily. 318 player in the world waited there because the No. I just grabbed those and brought them with me back to the hotel room, and I figured Ive been a big Kobe fan, regardless of how Im playing, Im going to try to honor him the last day.