SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Sahith Theegala stood beside the 17th tee box at TPC Scottsdale late Saturday afternoon. The No. 318 player in the world waited there because the No. 4 player in the world, Patrick Cantlay, was lining up his par putt on the reachable green.
Beside Theegala, two of golf’s biggest stars — Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele — prepared for shots of their own, each pining for the 54-hole lead. But from the makeshift stands separating holes 16 and 17, the chant wasn’t about Koepka or Schauffele. Instead, it was a drunken cheer of “Let’s Go Heeth.”
That the fans mispronounced Theegala’s name didn’t particularly matter.
“Is this the most wild s–t ever?” Carl Smith, Theegala’s caddie, said, walking up to Josh Loyo, his trainer.
For those most invested in Theegala’s journey, the answer is yes.
That’s why, on Sunday morning, dozens of members of Theegala’s 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.
“It means a lot,” Theegala, who was a sponsor’s exemption at the WM Phoenix Open, said of the support from his family. “That’s awesome that they feel like I’m somebody they can root for. Yeah, it means a lot to me, and hopefully, I can keep being someone that they can root for.”
The ringleader of this group is unquestionably Muralidhar Theegala, Sahith’s dad.
Thirty-five years ago, Muralidhar made the most important step in the family’s journey, when he immigrated to the United States from Hyderabad, India. As an undergraduate student interested in pursuing a master’s in industrial engineering, Muralidhar worked on research with a professor who recommended he attend Kansas State for graduate school.
Sahith Theegala’s family has a new addition to its rooting section on Sunday. His brother flew in from New Jersey where he’s a student at Seton Hall @tpcscottsdale @golfweek pic.twitter.com/gV2uP55qUi
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) February 13, 2022
Initially, Muralidhar planned to return to India after finishing his studies, but he “fell in love” with the U.S. Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, many members of the Theegala family made similar moves, establishing a base in southern California.
In the years after Sahith was born in 1997, the family bond strengthened, with birthday parties serving as regular reunions.
“That’s what we do as a family,” Muralidhar said. “We always love to meet each other.”
All of which brings us to Sunday.
Speaking beside the eighth green, Muralidhar pauses mid-sentence when Sahith begins lining up a putt. It’s a difficult, multi-level putt that requires a deft touch to even get close to the hole.
Theegala judges it perfectly, leaving himself with a tap-in for par. 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. Typically, this celebration is reserved for birdies — of which Theegala had 24 this week. But the eighth hole had been a trouble spot, with two bogeys in his first three rounds.
“After this hole, everything kind of opens up for him,” Muralidhar predicted.
The most remarkable part of Theegala’s week came in his ability to succeed under pressure. On both weekend days, he was in the tournament’s marquee threesome, including Sunday’s group that featured Koepka and Scottie Scheffler.
Theegala, though, never wavered. It’s why he has been able to carry over his success from Pepperdine, where he was a three-time All-American, to the PGA Tour.
“You’ve gotta have that belief in yourself,” Michael Beard, Theegala’s coach at Pepperdine, said. “He’s always been very comfortable in his own skin.”
It’s a trait Muralidhar has seen since Sahith was old enough to play sports.
“I don’t know where it comes from but I think he finds inner peace in himself,” Muralidhar said. The athletic talent is easy to explain. In India, Muralidhar was a standout cricket and soccer player. But this calmness — that’s uniquely Sahith.
It’s part of the reason he found golf in the first place. As a young kid, Sahith first decided to try the sport after watching PGA Tour events with Muralidhar. Inherently, golf frustrates kids as they struggle through its steep learning curve.
Not Theegala.
From a young age, “he was very creative,” as Muralidhar puts it. Even if his form wasn’t textbook — after all, he learned the game through trial-and-error at local public courses — Theegala succeeded.
Never, though, had he experienced a moment like this weekend, when he quickly became a cult hero at TPC Scottsdale. To wit: On Friday night, the Theegalas went out for a sushi dinner in Scottsdale. On Saturday night, they decided to return to the same establishment. With Sahith atop the leaderboard, the night was filled by him taking pictures with eager fans, including one who picked up the tab on the family’s meal.
Sunday followed much of the same trend. Alongside the 13th fairway, a pair of fans came up to take a selfie with Muralidhar — the first time in his life that’s ever happened. A few holes later, a pair of Indian fans who found “inspiration” in Sahith’s performance got a photo with Sahan — Sahith’s brother, who flew in Sunday from Seton Hall in New Jersey because he “wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
In the end, the same 17th hole where he was the subject of fan adoration a day earlier proved Theegala’s undoing. An unlucky bounce sent his tee shot into the water and the resulting bogey cost him a spot in Sunday’s playoff.
In the big picture, that means Theegala won’t get a two-year exemption to automatically retain his PGA Tour card. Muralidhar, though, provided the necessary context. Not only was this the best performance of Sahith’s young career, but he earned 145 FedEx Cup points — a significant step towards staying on tour next year.
“I am very proud,” Muralidhar said, walking off the 18th green. “Proud of him. Really, really proud of him.”
Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and Phoenix Rising FC. He can be reached by email at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie.
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