PGA Tour rookie Sahith Theegala leads Sanderson Farms Championship after low-scoring Saturday

JACKSON, Miss. — If you were watching the Sanderson Farms Championship on Saturday, you probably shot 67 from your couch.

A whopping 22 players shot 5-under or better during the third round at Country Club of Jackson, including 54-hole leader and PGA Tour rookie, Sahith Theegala. The Pepperdine product, after a “pretty wild” round, holds a one-shot lead at 18 under over Cameron Tringale, Denny McCarthy, Sam Burns and Cameron Young.

Theegala, the undisputed men’s college player of the year in 2020, is off to a strong start in the professional ranks following his made cut at the Fortinet Championship two weeks ago, the first event of the new Tour season.

“I started off playing really well, really solid, just missed a few makeable putts, but felt like my game was good,” Theegala said of his bogey-free round. “Then I started to hit some — I got a few to go in at the start of the back nine — and them I hit some wild drives, I mean way right, so was really happy to escape with a couple pars. It just felt like a grind those last five, six holes there. Obviously really happy with how I ground that out.”

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Theegala made five birdies and 13 pars in his round, and was as close to an eagle as you can get on the 303-yard par-4 15th. When his drive ran off the back of the green, leaving an 84-foot pitch to the hole, Theegala ran one right at the cup and suffered one of the more-brutal lipouts you’ll see.

Unbelievable.

This lip-out will leave your head spinning. 💫 pic.twitter.com/mTPTcMIWLF

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 2, 2021

“I can’t wait to see the replay of that to see what happened because it literally looked like more than a 360,” Theegala said of the shot. “I didn’t have the greatest vantage point, but it was literally going right at the stick, and I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s in, with good speed.’ But yeah, I can’t believe that lipout. That was like, people saw that lipout of Spieth at the Ryder Cup, that might have been worse.”

Still searching for his first win on Tour in his 311th start, Tringale shot the low round of the day, a bogey-free 10-under 62 to match his career best. Tringale went birdie-eagle-birdie-eagle on the par 5’s Saturday.

“I was just in control, in complete command of the ball and those are fun days, definitely didn’t feel that way starting out the week, but I feel like I’ve gained a little confidence each day,” Tringale said of his week in Mississippi. “I would say this was a combination of hitting a lot of good shots and having good breaks just on the same day.

“I love playing, obviously I’ve been out here a long time, I haven’t won, but I love competing and I just want to see if I can keep beating guys … I’m kind of a journeyman to this point and I’m enjoying the journey.”

McCarthy and Burns each shot 7-under 65 while Young signed for a 5-under 67. Seth Reeves sits T-6 alongside Trey Mullinax at 16-under after a career low 9-under 63. Aaron Wise (67) and Roger Sloan (68) are T-8 at 15 under.

While 15 players are within four shots of the lead entering Sunday’s final round, according to the Tour, the Sanderson Farms Championship is the only event on Tour where each of the last four 54-hole leaders or co-leaders have converted for the win: Ryan Armour (2017), Cameron Champ (2018), Sebastián Muñoz (2019) and Sergio Garcia (2020).

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure, but I think people have said before pressure’s a privilege and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage,” Theegala said of the pressure and nerves on the course. “I’m just having a good time with (caddie Carl Smith) out there and regardless of the golf that’s what it boils down to, golf’s a game and try and enjoy it as much as I can.”