20. Standing 6-foot-3, with a languid and unorthodox swing and a sublime short game, Theegala will make the second PGA Tour start of his career this week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, hoping that his professional future can have a special impact. Mamba himself might be proud of this answer. 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. As a result he likes to feel his way around the golf course and move it both ways, in the same manner as Bubba Watson for example. I just hit my second shot on 18, and right after I hit it, I flipped on the jersey, walked up to the green and hit both my putts in it. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 a basketball coach, that was my passion, so he and I hit it off immediately because were both huge Kobe fans and huge Lakers fan, Watkins said. 2022 WM Phoenix Open: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times. The story will go as far as Theegala's swing one shaped by a crooked spine and the Santa Ana winds takes it. As a result he has always been the one family and friends come to for buying advice and tips. Im like, Oh my god, are you kidding me? And his caddies cracking up. and the natural talent was unlike anything theyd seen before. Sahith Theegala and Mito Pereira's gut-wrenching heartbreak: Netflix Theegala has scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, which has always forced him to make a different motion than his peers. We got an Escalade, and this thing is so sick! Or Ill be like, Dude, nice shoes, and hes like, Yeah, they were just sitting in my locker. Now we are going to about Sahith Theegalas net worth. 4. Inherently, golf frustrates kids as they struggle through its steep learning curve. I put a good roll, just missed. Theegala got into chess as a senior at Pepperdine, when he broke his wrist and couldnt play golf for six months, so his teammate Derek Hitchner encouraged him to start competing against him in chess. Here you can get all details about Sahith Theegala Parents. At the first tournament he qualified for as a college freshman, Theegala had warmed up terribly on the driving range, struck by a case of nerves. His caddie Carl Smith, who recruited him when he was an assistant coach at Pepperdine, can only shake his head when he thinks about Theegalas escape on the drivable par-4 15th in the second round of last falls Shriners Childrens Open. 4 player in the world, Patrick Cantlay, was lining up his par putt on the reachable green. Sahith Theegala, his first round on Thursday suspended due to darkness, went back to the house, ordered Thai and watched basketball. He returned to the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge but missed the cut. It was unbelievable to hear the galleries chanting his name and loving him it seemed like he became a fan favorite overnight, said Pepperdine golf coach Michael Beard, who flew to Phoenix for the final round. Depending on what the circumstances were, I wasnt sure what I was going to do the last day. After a par on the 13th hole, Theegala was back at it on the 14th hole. Immediately trailing him are a golf all-star team: Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. When Muralidhar cheered, Sahith would get excited. And I knew if I kept putting the ball in the fairway, Im going to have scoring opportunities.. Of the 156 golfers competing in the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, 23-year-old Sahith Theegala obviously isnt the biggest name in the field. He was the 2010 Junior Masters Champion. Theegala had won the first tournament he played in at the age of 6, the prestigious Junior Worlds in San Diego, and won it again at ages 8 and 10. Since his PGA Tour debut last summer, hes jumped nearly 1,400 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking and is only going to continue to rise if he plays the way hes capable of playing. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! His parents often follow him in tournaments. PGA Tour pro Sahith Theegala hit one of the strangest shots of 2022 during the first round of the QBE Shootout. Even if someones mean to him, hed just be kind back to you.. Sahith Theegala hardly remembered the details, but his father did. Even if his form wasnt textbook after all, he learned the game through trial-and-error at local public courses Theegala succeeded. 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. 13-16, holing a 15-footer from the fringe on the stadium par-3 16th. Inside Sahith Theegala's mixed bag of Ping clubs - PGATour 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. Chants of THEE-GAL-A! If you want to say thats a bit like the player he was honoring, go for it. Sahith went to one of the Private School High schools to complete his high school study. 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. Theegala birdies last, takes home QBE with Hoge, Breaking down the rosters, pairings and snubs for the Presidents Cup, With his FedEx Cup win, the PGA Tour caps off the Summer of Rory McIlroy, 'Elevated events' and increased purses: Details of the PGA Tour's upcoming changes, Who can win the FedEx Cup? He was born in Orange, California. Id have been happy if itd just gone in the bunker, and he hits it to 2 feet.. 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. 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. 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Viktor Hovland aces the 7th hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. "I definitely think that Asian heritage part is . He also loves to test golf apparel especially if it a piece that can be used just about anywhere! Hes made five more starts on the KFT since then and has made the cut in each, his best finish a tie for ninth at the MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute. The Official PGA TOUR Profile of Sahith Theegala. So that was the best, the gorilla chasing the bananas.. He has this ability if hes out of position off the tee to just shape it crazy around trees. The Players Championship will be contested next week without its biggest draw. This shot from the exciting prospect happened at the 18th hole at Tiburn Golf. Sahith Theegala is of Indian-American nationality. He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 Genesis Open where he finished in a tie for 49th. I always believed that my boy is something special, Muralidhar Theegala said. This kid can flat-out play. Smith remembers rooming with him for the first time at this years Korn Ferry Tour Finals, and he was curious regarding which show Theegala was watching so intently on his computer. If youre not trying to win, what are you doing?, Golfers Pro Journey Starts With a Burst Bubble, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/02/sports/golf/sahith-theegala-pga-tour.html. Hell miss a shot and drop his club. What is Sahith Theegalas ethnicity? 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. Its his senior year at Pepperdine, and the Waves are practicing for a home tournament, when he and the rest of the basketball world came to a stop in late January of 2020. 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 called it a great learning experience, which didnt change his lofty expectations going forward. Official World Golf Ranking - Player Profile At the age of 19, he made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 Genesis Open in Los Angeles - three years before turning professional. Im really excited about getting a spot to my hometown event.. How much so? Sahith Theegala Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images That summer, he qualified for the U.S. Open at Erin Hills but missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 75. 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. 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. Its so refreshing. 5. Ultimately, were all trying to do the same thing in pro golf and thats make a successful career. When Smith took over Theegalas bag last fall, the thing that impressed him most about his game was the same that kept him coming back to recruit him for Pepperdine when he was an assistant: the ability to avoid bad rounds even when he didnt have his best stuff. PGA TOUR Stats, bio, video, photos, results, and career highlights 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.. USE CODE LOVE5 AT CHECKOUT TO GET AN EXTRA 5% OFF! Odom competed in the Collegiate Showcase at The Riviera Country Club on Monday, February 13 with the opportunity to earn the final . The No. Sahith Theegala is an escape artist. Sahith Theegala Parents, Ethnicity, Wiki, Bio, Age, Girlfriend, Career, Net Worth & More. He fell in love with it immediately. Kurt Kitayama took advantage of Jon Rahm's struggles on Friday, shooting a 4-under 68 to grab a two-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? And he didnt.. THEE-GAL-A! filled the desert course at TPC Scottsdale, where the former Diamond Bar High School and Pepperdine University star stood atop the leaderboard for most of the four-day event and seemed on the verge of his first PGA Tour win before disaster struck on the penultimate hole. But I believe that he was born to do something great.. Thirty-five years ago, Muralidhar made the most important step in the familys journey, when he immigrated to the United States from Hyderabad, India. When Watkins went to watch him at the Fortinet Championship this past fall, he learned quickly Theegalas still the same guy. 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. the thing that impressed him most about his game was the same that kept him coming back to recruit him for Pepperdine when he was an assistant: the ability to avoid bad rounds even when he didnt have his best stuff. In the background, you can hear a young fan asking for Pereira's . Get to know rising star Sahith Theegala better with these 20 facts 1. Sahith Theegala odds, tips and betting trends | The WM Phoenix Open Speaking beside the eighth green, Muralidhar pauses mid-sentence when Sahith begins lining up a putt. - Richard Bland Blasts PGA Tour Changes, These 2022 Golf Products Are About To Be ReplacedGrab A Bargain, Sergio Garcia Opens Up On 'Very Sad' McIlroy Fallout, I Tracked Every Shot Of Tiger Woods' Warm-Up, Rick Shiels' Ultimate 30 Minute Range Session, Ping, Unysis, RBC, Korn Ferry, UKG, Titleist, Zurich, FootJoy, Fall in love this February with a Golf Monthly subscription. But when Im around my friends and other golfers, its not something that I think about.. 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.