Sahith Theegala Reddy, a young Indian-American golfer, achieved a significant milestone on September 18 by securing his first PGA Tour title at the Fortinet Championship. He hopes this victory will inspire other young Indian athletes to dream big.
The 25-year-old delivered an impressive final round, scoring a 4-under 68 at Silverado Resort in Napa, California, ultimately winning by two strokes over Korea’s S.H. Kim. Theegala now joins fellow Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia, who claimed victory at the Barracuda Championship in July.
Theegala’s remarkable victory at the Fortinet Championship featured seven birdies and three bogeys in his final round. Notably, one of those bogeys occurred when his tee shot landed in a fairway bunker on a different hole. Despite maintaining a three-shot advantage, he encountered a demanding par-5 18th hole. Regrettably, his drive and subsequent shot landed in the rough, leading to a tap-in for a score of 6 on that hole. In the end, he completed the tournament with a total score of 21-under 267.
Theegala, the son of Indian immigrants and a former collegiate golfer at Pepperdine, made it to the Tour Championship during his rookie year on the PGA Tour last year, which was a remarkable accomplishment. However, his season took a disappointing turn last month when he recorded a bogey on the final hole of the BMW Championship, preventing him from earning a return trip to East Lake and concluding his season on a somewhat sour note.
