-Sahith Theegala is an American professional golfer who plays in the PGA Tour. Theegala has scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, which has always forced him to make a different motion than his peers. And he didnt.. He won the 2015 Orange County Championship and the 2014 Coronado City Championship. As a young kid, Sahith first decided to try the sport after watching PGA Tour events with Muralidhar. Meet Phoenix Open leader with one hell of a Kobe story. "I definitely think that Asian heritage part is . His caddie, who had never caddied for a rookie until now, has appreciated the youthful exuberance and appreciation that Theegala has found on TOUR. July 5, 2020 at 12:23 p.m. Sahith Theegala hardly remembered the details, but his father did. POINTS 10 and made four straight birdies on Nos. WM Phoenix Open: Spurred by family support, Sahith Theegala records life-changing finish. Inside the ropes, if Theegala is chatting away with his caddie, its likely not about golf but instead his beloved Los Angeles Lakers. That the fans mispronounced Theegalas name didnt particularly matter. His father repeatedly told him, Its OK, while his mother wiped tears from his eyes. Its not like Im just playing to make the cut or anything like that. 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. Sam now spends most of his time testing and looking after golf gear content for the website. Hes always been very comfortable in his own skin.. Hes genuine, and it shows how he carries himself. He was born on December 04, 1997, in Orange, California, United States. Sahith Theegala is the son of Karuna Theegala and Muralidhar Theegala. Theegala rarely, if ever, hits a straight shot, and that started when he was just 7 as Rick Hunter tells it. and his signature head move on the downswing isnt completely on purpose. 2. I definitely think that Asian heritage part is a big part of why Ive reached this point.. He won the 2014 L.A. City Championship by eight strokes after shooting 18-under over four days. With that all in mind, and the knowledge that Theegala is a 24-year-old rook on Tour who still lives at home with Mom and Dad, youre right to wonder how hell hold up with Brooksie, Patty Ice, an Olympic gold medalist, bananas and a monkey hounding him. Sahith Theegala is starting his PGA Tour career just as the coronavirus infiltrated pro golfs caravan. Type above and press Enter to search. Sahith is graduated from Pepperdine University and named three-time NCAA All-American. All rights reserved. However, he bounced back nicely with a very respectable T-32 finish at the Memorial, after which he traveled about an hour south to Springfield Country Club, where he won a 3-for-1 playoff to get into the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he struck the very first shot of the tournament on Thursday morning. How much so? But when it was his time to tee off, the right-handed Theegala smashed a beautiful left-to-right fade in the narrow gap between a rock outcropping and a canyon. He was my sports idol growing up, so that would definitely be the one.". 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. I was just really happy to do that, to pay my respects to the guy who Ive idolized pretty much for my whole career., Theegala, after Friday at the Phoenix, continues to lead after a scorching, eight-birdie, one-bogey 64, the days low round. Its manageable, though. Theegala walked off the 18th green and into the arms of his parents, Murli and Karuna, with whom he still lives. This kid can flat-out play. We talk about basketball all the time because I follow basketball and the Lakers a lot, Smith said. And I knew if I kept putting the ball in the fairway, Im going to have scoring opportunities.. Sahith Theegala is of Indian-American nationality. 318 player in the world waited there because the No. It means a lot, Theegala, who was a sponsors exemption at the WM Phoenix Open, said of the support from his family. Tiger Woods says it is a long haul to recover from his leg surgeries, but he will return to PGA on a part-time basis. 21. . Like millions of other people, Kobe was my sports idol, Theegala told GOLF.com in a spring of 2020 interview. ET Friday to commit to the event. Any back-related abnormality obviously isnt a good thing for any golfer, but Theegala has found a way to make it work. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Sahith Theegala hardly remembered the details, but his father did. All kinds of random stuff like that. I said, Oh boy, Im going to teach him some shot-making at age 7! Sahith Theegalas family has a new addition to its rooting section on Sunday. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. This weekend, theyll be playing in front of fans who are maybe best described this way: Talor Gooch was asked Friday the best costume hes seen at TPC Scottsdale. He also oversees all Tour player content as well. In addition, Theegala holds an American nationality. He hits his ball into a bush near the green with water on the other side of the green in an impossible spot, and he hits it to like 4 feet out of a bush, said Cootes, who caddied for Theegala at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills when they were both sophomores. He put everything that he could into me. He has one sibling, Sahan Theegala. Well before he was a three-time All-American golfer at Pepperdine and long before he made his professional PGA Tour debut this past week at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., Theegala was a 10-year-old public course golfer trying to figure out fast greens. The 2023 Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase field featured 19 players representing 15 schools. He led the PGA Tour in birdies made for the 2012-22 season with a total of 433. 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. His sponsors include PING, FootJoy, Unisys Corporation, Linksoul and BURN180. He also loves to test golf apparel especially if it a piece that can be used just about anywhere! He has a knack for getting out of trouble and making par.. Our freshman year, he would hit a shank for fun to throw people off on the range, Cootes said with a laugh, recalling the first time he witnessed this. I dont know what excited him, but he was so excited, Murli recalled. . That was one of the best memories Ive ever had, Theegala said last weekend. As a result he has always been the one family and friends come to for buying advice and tips. Born in Orange, California, Sahith is the son of Karuna and Muralidhar Theegala. Sahith Theegala United States Birthdate 12/4/1997 (25) Birthplace Orange, California College Pepperdine Swing Right Turned Pro 2020 The No. His friends say theres zero chance thats changing now that hes become a PGA TOUR member, and it wont in the future if he becomes a superstar like they all think he will. An unlucky bounce sent his tee shot into the water and the resulting bogey cost him a spot in Sundays playoff. 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. With his collegiate career at an end, Theegala turned pro last spring and made his debut at the Outlaw Tours Lone Tree Classic in Chandler, Arizona, where he finished third and collected a $1,850 paycheck. Ultimately, were all trying to do the same thing in pro golf and thats make a successful career. The Theegalas were not members of a private club, and Sahith was mostly playing at a public course called El Prado. Standing beside his cousin and son, Muralidhar leans back, raising both his arms in the air and yelling, Great putt buddy, great putt, before high-fiving everyone in sight. From a young age, he was very creative, as Muralidhar puts it. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! So, we learned then how to fade and draw a ball. Hunter said the precocious little 7-year-old Theegala, who had just won the Junior World Golf Championships as a 6-year-old, came back frustrated after a recent tournament because there was a tree on a par-3 that he couldnt hit it over, so he needed Hunter to help him with the solution he came up with a solution hes still using today. CreditJustin Milhouse for The New York Times. I dont know if I should say a name, but there was a very good golfer that was a senior on the complete opposite end of the range, and Sahith was like, Im just going to shank one over to this guy to make him look back, and Im pretty sure he got his attention because it was kind of close., It was the name, Jon Rahm, yes, Cootes chuckled. Or his fantasy football teams. Ryan Masajedi Wikipedia states he is a highly acclaimed volleyball coach who has significantly contributed to the sport. He doesnt care how he has to swing or what he has to do to get the ball in the hole., Lee Elder breaking the color barrier at The Masters, Harold Varner III addressing racial inequity, Woodss rise had been predicted to prompt an influx of golfers. 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. PGA Tour pro Sahith Theegala hit one of the strangest shots of 2022 during the first round of the QBE Shootout. He held the lead into the final hole but made a double bogey to hand the title to Xander Schauffele. POINTS WON WEIGHT ADJ. Hes still not even sure if Theegala saw him first or not but before he could say hello, he watched a ball go whizzing from the other side of the range towards the yard of some houses near the chipping green. Sahith Theegala Biography Sahith Theegala Wiki, Muni He (Golfer) Wiki, Age, Boyfriend, Parents, Height, Lpga, Rankings, House, Net Worth, Instagram, Robert Finley Americas Got Talent Wiki, Bio, Age, Wife, Kids, Family, Net Worth, Height, Instagram, Nationality and Ethnicity, Connor Cyrus Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Salary, Kids, Net Worth, WCAX, Height, Instagram, Miley Cyrus Grandma: Loretta Jean Palmer Finley Wiki, Age, Cause of Death, Family, Net Worth, Husband, Obituary. The key for Theegala will be keeping the ball in the fairway. Hunter took him to the putting green, and hed flick his wrist at every putt, and they all went in. He was born in Orange, California. A post shared by Sahith Reddy Theegala (@srtheegala). Sahith Theegalais 24 years old as of 2022. He graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California, in 2015, the same school that produced the PGA TOURs Kevin Na (2001). I would cry when the Lakers would lose or Kobe would have a bad game when I was young. But make no mistake about it. Sahith Theegala Parents Background, What You Didn't Know About Golfer's Ethnicity and Nationality. Sahith Theegala, his first round on Thursday suspended due to darkness, went back to the house, ordered Thai and watched basketball. He acknowledges his father as the reason he got into golf. Sahith Theegala Parents, Ethnicity, Wiki, Bio, Age, Girlfriend, Career, Net Worth & More. With a front hole location, he had no chance of putting it, but it didnt matter. In India, Muralidhar was a standout cricket and soccer player. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. The No. He also does so at one of the most tumultuous times in history, as the PGA Tours restricted environment has been infiltrated by positive tests for the coronavirus among golfers and their caddies. He had a highly successful collegiate career at Pepperdine, winning every major award there is to win in 2020, although his final season was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19. 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. Now we are going to about Sahith Theegalas net worth. Golfer Sahith Theegala has earned $2,735,027 in career earnings. It was a pivotal hole. But the eighth hole had been a trouble spot, with two bogeys in his first three rounds. Inthis blog, you read all the details of Sahith Theegala Parents, Ethnicity, Wiki, Biography, Age, Partner, Career, Net Worth & More. Q.4What isSahith Theegalas Nationality? I ended up being in the lead so I didnt want it to affect me that much, and I was still 100 percent going to do it on the last hole. Personal life [ edit] Before Theegala made his professional debut in a small Outlaw Tour event in early June, he drove with Roy Cootes, his friend from junior golf and roommate for four years at Pepperdine, to Arizona where they stayed in an $80-per-night motel room. ), 2 pre-round warm-up exercises Sahith Theegala does before every round, Sahith Theegala finally added this common club to his Ping setup, 3 things to know after Saturday at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Nicklaus Award winner Sahith Theegala taking 'Mamba mentality' to the pro ranks. We all did.. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/02/15/wm-phoenix-open-sahith-theegala-family-life-changing-finish/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Initially, Muralidhar planned to return to India after finishing his studies, but he fell in love with the U.S. For those most invested in Theegalas journey, the answer is yes. Im definitely proud of my Indian heritage and I hope Im inspiring other Indian Americans and people in India to know they can compete in sports, he told Global Indian. J. Vegas Full Leaderboard ESPN Sahith Theegala United States Birthdate 12/4/1997 (25) Birthplace Orange, California College. 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. He can hit it all over the map, and he can shoot the exact same score as if he was striping it. He graduated from Diamond Bar High School in California, which is the same school that produced Kevin Na (opens in new tab). A golfer for most of his life, Sam is a Senior Staff Writer for Golf Monthly. And it was different because we had no experience with sports at all, so he spearheaded the whole mission to college and professional golf. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. As far as courses he wanted to play, the two that stand out are the Old Course at St Andrews, and Royal Melbourne. His friends say theres zero chance thats changing now that hes become a PGA TOUR member, and it wont in the future if he becomes a superstar like they all think he will. He tied for second at the RSM Classic in November 2022, two shots behind winner Adam Svensson. In the years after Sahith was born in 1997, the family bond strengthened, with birthday parties serving as regular reunions. Theegala made one final start in 2020, missing the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship. I just knew I was going to wear it while playing I dont know if it was going to be hole eight because I had an eight jersey, or if I was just going to wear it during the last round. Not only was this the best performance of Sahiths young career, but he earned 145 FedEx Cup points a significant step towards staying on tour next year. Rory McIlroy says that proposed changes on the PGA Tour to smaller fields with no cut have come about due to LIV Golf, Richard Bland says the PGA Tour has no interest in the Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour judging by the latest changes. We werent in the greatest financial situation when I was a kid. Woodss rise had been predicted to prompt an influx of golfers from more diverse backgrounds whether they were recreational players or pros, but 23 years later Woods and Varner are the only African-American golfers ranked in the top 200. Odom competed in the Collegiate Showcase at The Riviera Country Club on Monday, February 13 with the opportunity to earn the final . 2. Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala is of Asian heritage. Everyone around Theegala has their moment when they knew he was special, and the natural talent was unlike anything theyd seen before. His ability to score when hes not at his best is incredible, and its because his short game is one of the best Ive ever seen. He finished 3rd in his professional debut at the Lone Tree Classic on the Outlaw Tour. Its his very first pro tournament and hes on the leaderboard, Hunter remembered, and I said after, How did you feel? And he looked at me strange and said, What do you mean? Depending on what the circumstances were, I wasnt sure what I was going to do the last day. It was incredible. LIV Golf Has Exploited Some Weaknesses In PGA Tour - Rory McIlroy, 'How Does This Help The So Called Strategic Alliance?' The most remarkable part of Theegalas week came in his ability to succeed under pressure. 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. "Very proud of my heritage and my background," Theegala told The Times of India. How cool is that? At Sony (Open), wed had two months off, and he did to say to me, Yeah, I had another one of those moments of like, Wow, Im on the PGA TOUR! Its just so refreshing, and I hope he never loses that.. He did not disclose his personal information and wants to keep his personal information private. Id have been happy if itd just gone in the bunker, and he hits it to 2 feet.. 12. 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. He would also birdie the 18th hole on his way to . But if he drives it well and is in the fairway, hes probably gonna be on the first page of the leaderboard.. I absolutely freaked out. The PGA Tour announced the field for what's often known as golf's "fifth major," and Tiger Woods was not part of the group that will tee it up at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. @CudaChamp. Derek got him into it and used to beat him, but over the last couple of years Sahiths gotten really good as well, and now they kind of go back and forth, Cootes said. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. He is a graduate of Swansea University where he studied History and American Studies, and he has been a part of the Golf Monthly team since December 2017. Age, Children, Height & Instagram, Brandi Boyd Parents, Ethnicity, Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Children, Career, Net Worth & More, Swapnil Pandey Biography, Age, Family, Girlfriend, Height, Net Worth, Instagram, Efraim Genuino Biography, Wiki, Age, Parents, Wife, Nationality, Height, Net Worth 2023 & More, General Amjad Shoaib Biography, Career, Family, Education, Relationship, Net Worth And More. Love to see him on the TOP of GOLF ??. He can be reached by email at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie. The Official PGA TOUR Profile of Sahith Theegala. 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.. Sahith Theegala is the son of Muralidhar Theegala (father) and Karuna Theegala (mother). A little bit of both, sure, Theegala said, when asked if he was more proud of the way he hung in at Phoenix or more disappointed with the finish. How do LIV Golfs TV ratings really compare to the PGA Tour? Sahith Theegala is an American professional golfer. Here you can get all details about Sahith Theegala Parents. He now lives in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston. It went left and trickled into the water. I still dont know why he does it, but he just loves curving the ball.. They proceeded to chipping, and Theegala stabbed at those, but they all either went in or ended up right beside the cup. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. and that started when he was just 7 as Rick Hunter tells it. 2023 Getty Images. His birth name is Sahith Theegala. Junior Amateur Championships and reached the Round of 16 in 2014. He also wanted to meet Kobe Bryant before his death in 2020. To me, that kind of sums him up. So, Id definitely say my father. Ranking all 30 Tour Championship players, Berger out of the Open, replaced by Theegala, Theegala rallies to hold onto Phoenix Open lead, Theegala leads Koepka, Schauffele in Phoenix, Rookie Theegala's 67 good for 1-shot Miss. He dropped for a penalty stroke, chipped to within 14 feet but missed that putt for par, settling for a bogey. It just so happened that I had a one-shot lead. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His longtime coach Rick Hunters favorite escape courtesy of a short game that he thinks has been world-class for eight to 10 years came at the Genesis Invitational in 2017. My mom, too, sacrificed so much for me, but my dads definitely the reason Im playing professional golf today. Now we tell you about his religion is not known. I dont know where it comes from but I think he finds inner peace in himself, Muralidhar said. Hunter points to Theegalas first TOUR start at the Genesis Invitational in 2017, when he opened with a 4-under 67 and was inside the top-10 after the opening round. Chants of THEE-GAL-A! Pepperdine Coach Michael Beard was summoned from the clubhouse to see what his young star was doing, and was shocked to see Theegala get to the first tee, take out a handful of irons and swing left-handed. His ability to score is just such a unique quality, Cootes said. 6. 4. . 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 situation. I think theres kind of a stereotype people have that Indians arent great athletes, because theyre arent seen a lot in American sports. 14. . The story will go as far as Theegala's swing one shaped by a crooked spine and the Santa Ana winds takes it. He was on the honor roll all four years. Sahith Theegala was born on December 4, 1997. Theegala shot 63 and left with the course record. But when Beard first saw him, Theegala also shoved clubs into the wrong slots in his bag, wore socks pulled halfway up his calves and shirt slightly untucked. Hopefully there is some inspiration behind that, for people who watch me and realize that you dont have to be the stereotypical white golfer.. Speaking to the PGA Tour Theegala said: "I learned chess when I was a young kid, but I didnt play for 10 years in between there. In the same interview with the PGA Tour he said: "Its definitely my father. 18. Theegala went to Pepperdine University in California where he studied Sports Administration. . Theegala made par on 18 and settled for third place and a check for $434,600, which doubled his career earnings and gave him a new outlook entering the Genesis Invitational. But after that, one of the freshmen that came in in 2019, his name is Derek, he was like I play chess; do you want to play?