He also oversees all Tour player content as well. But make no mistake about it. 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. He wants us to be just as successful as he is., Added Oh: Hes truly one of the most humble, down-to-earth guys youd ever meet. He likes courses where you can play out of the trees, Beard said. In Orange, California, Sahith Theegala was born to Indian parents; his adored mother is Karuna Theegala, and his father is Muralidhar Theegala. Most things are low-key with Theegala. 16. I felt OK. I was looking to see if he had any nerves or apprehension. Sahith Theegala Background. But know that not every dude can step up to an 18th green with a one-shot lead, toss a jersey over his head and win a tournament, days after your hero dies, minutes from where you live. Background of Sahith Theegala's Parents. For his dad, Murli, it came when his boy won the Junior Worlds at age 6 playing cross-handed a tidbit he hadnt even noticed previously until a spectator mentioned it to him. TheHaskins Awardis presented annually by theHaskins Commission to honor the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States, and theBen Hogan Awardis an annual prize given by Friends of Golf and theGolf Coaches Association of America, since 1990, to the bestcollegegolfplayer in theUnited States. But the eighth hole had been a trouble spot, with two bogeys in his first three rounds. Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. He cites Riviera, Martis Camp and Alotian Club as three of his favourite golf courses. Sahith Theegalas net worth is estimated to be $2 million. We always love to meet each other.. He had no shot, absolutely no shot, but he pulled out his sand wedge and hit this unbelievable shot just to the left of the pin and made 3, Hunter said. 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. He was leading the WM Phoenix Open by a shot, but hes also a hoops head. Mike DiGiovanna has been covering Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Times since 1995 and spent 19 years as the Angels beat writer and two seasons on the Dodgers. Sahith Theegala Parents Background, What You Didn't Know About Golfer's Ethnicity and Nationality. Sahith Theegala hits his tee shot at the third hole during the final round of the Phoenix Open on Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz. Sahith Theegala acknowledges the cheering crowd after his final putt at the Phoenix Open on Sunday, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Tiger Woods says hell return to PGA part time but doesnt know when, Scottie Scheffler arrives at Genesis Invitational after making Texas proud, Lakers playoff hopes take another hit after comeback fades vs. Minnesota, Ducks strike with a pair of late power-play goals to defeat Canadiens, With Norman Powell out, Clippers are edged at Sacramento for fifth loss in a row, Harvard-Westlakes Bryce Rainer fires out 92-mph fastballs in first start since 2021, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits. 5. 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. The key for Theegala will be keeping the ball in the fairway. We werent in the greatest financial situation when I was a kid. It means a lot, Theegala, who was a sponsors exemption at the WM Phoenix Open, said of the support from his family. You can reach out to him about any of these topics his stories, his game or his beers at nick.piastowski@golf.com. He was the Sierra Leagues Athlete of the Year as a senior and the League MVP as a junior. He diamond Bar won or shared the league title all four years and won CIF Southern Section titles in 2012 and 2013. He put everything that he could into me. 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. He has one sibling, Sahan Theegala. Now we are going to about Sahith Theegalas net worth. Now one of just a handful of Indian American golfers to ever compete on the PGA Tour, the 63 California native is looking to make a name for himself among the professional ranks and is doing a solid job of that thus far. His parents often follow him in tournaments. But when Im around my friends and other golfers, its not something that I think about.. ", 9. So we want to tell you he is a professional Journalistalong with being a singer so his earnings are very good. 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. A fresh pair of shoes was just in my locker. Kon Hai Alakh Pandey aka Physics Wallah Wife Shivani Dubey? What happened in the wake of Sundays 17th-hole collapse, which knocked the 24-year-old Chino Hills resident into a three-way tie for third place, further endeared Theegala to those in attendance and watching on television. Though he admitted to being a little bit star-struck when he teed off with PGA stars Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka on Saturday, he shot a third-round 69 for a one-stroke lead over Koepka, the defending champion. Theegala says he hopes to extend his coming-out party for another weekend when he tees off Thursday in in the opening round of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club, the historic Pacific Palisades course where he won the Collegiate Showcase in 2017, earning an exemption into the tournament that year. Pepperdine was the top-ranked team in the country when the college golf season was shut down due to COVID-19. Pepperdine University and was named three-time NCAA All-American. Thats why, on Sunday morning, dozens of members of Theegalas family lined the first tee box, waiting for the hero they call son, or nephew, or brother, or cousin to start his final round which he began with a one-shot lead. 2022 WM Phoenix Open: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times. 19. Paired with Phil Mickelson for the final 32 holes on Sunday after a weather delay with thousands of spectators following along, Theegala hit his tee shot on the famed par-3 sixth hole featuring a bunker in the middle of the green over the bunker to the back of the green. My dad was the first one from his entire family that moved to the States, and he made it on his own. Hed keep practicing until the night and it gets dark, and I remember a few times him crying, I dont want to go home, but I said, Its dark, buddy, weve gotta go home.. Theegala went to Pepperdine University in California where he studied Sports Administration. 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? 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. It was just the most casual ball-striking clinic, Oh said. . He took birth in Orange, California, U.S. Theegala judges it perfectly, leaving himself with a tap-in for par. Especially between Phoenix and the PGA Championship, I guarantee you most casual to slightly . Hes like, Oh, cool. Hes just always super casual.. Ultimately, were all trying to do the same thing in pro golf and thats make a successful career. And the fact he got a sponsors invitation you hadnt heard of him, and now hes playing with the top 20 players in the world, Ryder Cuppers.. The No. 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. He was the 2010 Junior Masters Champion. 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. This is @SRTheegala just being Sahith Theegala - one of the most exciting young prospects in world golf! "I got off to a pretty hot start . The idea that he had a ton of pressure on him while Theegala could fly under the radar is just bogus. One of his hobbies away from the golf course is chess. Theegala is proud of his Indian heritage/background and well aware of the deficiency of proficient Indian golfers on the PGA tour. 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. 12. He tied for second at the RSM Classic in November 2022, two shots behind winner Adam Svensson. Theegalas game seems suited for Riviera, which favors more of a left-to-right player off the tee and features an abundance of mammoth Eucalyptus trees, super-fast greens and no water. Inside the ropes, if Theegala is chatting away with his caddie, its likely not about golf but instead his beloved Los Angeles Lakers. So his father, Muralidhar, who was born in Hyderabad, India, took him to a practice area at a local private country club he knew of near their home in the Los Angeles suburbs. 1. That summer, he qualified for the U.S. Open at Erin Hills but missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 75. Viktor Hovland aces the 7th hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is of Indian heritage. Sahith Theegala is an escape artist. Meet Phoenix Open leader with one hell of a Kobe story. Hes just the nicest guy. And he has a great imagination. He can hit it all over the map, and he can shoot the exact same score as if he was striping it. Born in Orange, California, Sahith is the son of Karuna and Muralidhar Theegala. Visit our corporate site. He won the 2014 L.A. City Championship by eight strokes after shooting 18-under over four days. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Sahith Theegala stood beside the 17th tee box at TPC Scottsdale late Saturday afternoon. In high school, he was just one of those kinds of characters, and thats what he did, Watkins said. 9. 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. The story will go as far as Theegala's swing one shaped by a crooked spine and the Santa Ana winds takes it. Similarly, Sahith shares an Indian-American ethnicity. He has one brother Sahan Thageela. His maiden win on the PGA Tour was an unofficial one, coming at the QBE Shootout doubles event with Tom Hoge in December 2022. If you shoot 68 and lose, give credit to the other player. Hes the same kid he was in high school, and I think thats a great lesson of, Dont change who you are.. And theres this. The ringleader of this group is unquestionably Muralidhar Theegala, Sahiths dad. Anyone can read what you share. He was playing online chess. 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? Sahith Theegalais 24 years old as of 2022. He likes to curve the ball a lot. Press Esc to cancel. 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.