One-time PGA Tour winner Sahith Theegala has been chosen by tournament host Tiger Woods as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2026 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

The Sifford exemption has been presented annually since 2009 and gives a deserving golfer from a minority background the opportunity to play in The Genesis Invitational.

Previous recipients have included Marcus Byrd, Cameron Champ, JJ Spaun and Harold Varner III while last year's beneficiary was Danny List.

The special exemption was designed to continue Sifford's legacy by "recognizing players whose journeys reflect the power of opportunity, perseverance and progress in the game of golf," per a statement announcing the news.

The statement went on to say that "perseverance helped propel Sifford to opportunities on the golf course, and his belief in earning opportunity through performance remains central to the exemption."

Explaining the reasons Theegala was chosen, Woods said: "During Charlie’s playing days, all he wanted was an opportunity to compete with the best players in the world so he could showcase his game, and Sahith shares those same characteristics.

“I am proud to welcome Sahith to the field for The Genesis Invitational, a tournament that shares a lot of meaning for us both.”

Theegala - who was born in Fullerton, California and raised in Chino Hills by his parents who immigrated to the United States from India - also reacted to his inclusion ahead of a sixth appearance in the event.

He said: “Receiving this special invitation from Tiger is an honor.

“The Genesis Invitational has played an important role in my journey to the PGA Tour, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to compete in Charlie’s memory.”

Theegala has played in the Genesis Invitational five times previously, making his PGA Tour debut as a Pepperdine University student at the 2017 running and achieving a best finish of T6th in 2023.

Coincidentally, Theegala went on to make his first professional appearance on the PGA Tour at the Travelers Championship - the tournament Sifford won for his first victory.

Following a highly disappointing campaign last year in which Theegala battled a neck injury and ultimately finished the season 147th in the FedEx Cup standings, the 2023 Fortinet Championship winner will hope to continue what has been a highly promising start to 2026 next week.

Theegala was T31st at the Sony Open but then finished T8th at the American Express and T7th at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The Californian subsequently ended the WM Phoenix Open T18th after being presented with the first of three successive sponsor's exemptions.

He is currently competing at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on a sponsor's exemption and will make it three events in a row at Riviera between February 19-22.

One-time PGA Tour winner, Sahith Theegala has confirmed he will be taking an indefinite break from the game to deal with an unspecified injury which has been affecting him for "the last few weeks."

Theegala is one of 11 players to withdraw from the 2025 RBC Canadian Open this week - something the 27-year-old admitted was a particular frustration given he is supported by the tournament's headline sponsor.

In a statement on Instagram, the American wrote: "Very disappointed to report that with a heavy heart I had to withdraw from one of my favorite events of the year.

"The RBC Canadian Open always treats players so well, and I was really excited to play the new venue at TPC Toronto this year. The place looks beautiful and I've heard so many great things about the golf course and the facility overall.

"Doctors have advised me to put the clubs away for a little while as I get treatment and rest for an injury I've been battling the last few weeks, so this one stings.

"Wishing my great friends at RBC a wonderful week. They are first class all the way, and I'll miss competing with all my fellow Team RBC players for Canada's national Open Championship.

"Thank you to my fans and sponsors for your continued support. See you all soon!! Sahith."

Theegala's injury issue arrives after just two top-20 finishes in 15 starts already this season and a largely tumultuous 2024 campaign off the back of his lone PGA Tour win in 2023.

Having struggled for consistency in all areas of his game this term, the Californian's season highlight was a T17th finish in February's Genesis Invitational.

More recently, the Pepperdine University alumnus has witnessed a noticeable drop off in driving distance - according to statistics available on datagolf.com - as well as a significant decrease in driving accuracy in his past two starts.

And, since a T18th finish alongside Aaron Rai at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late-April, Theegala has withdrawn from the Truist Championship, failed to qualify for the PGA Championship and missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament.

Although Theegala will not be in the field at TPC Toronto, Rory McIlroy headlines as one of 15 top-50 golfers hoping to lift the third-oldest golf tournament in the world.

McIlroy is making his first appearance since the PGA Championship - the Major at which information about his non-conforming driver was leaked.

The five-time Major winner is set to speak to the media on Wednesday afternoon where he will likely be quizzed on the subject as well as his decision not to inform Memorial Tournament host, Jack Nicklaus that he would not be attending last week's Signature Event.

Sahith Theegala has been forced to withdraw from the 2025 PGA Championship due to a neck injury.

It's the same neck injury that led to his withdrawal ahead of Sunday's Truist Championship final round, where he pulled out after carding an eight-over-par 78 on Saturday.

This week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow is the first Major he misses since the 2022 US Open.

Theegala has been replaced in the field by World No.120 Alex Smalley, who comes into the event in good form after finishing T5th at last week's Myrtle Beach Classic.

Theegala's latest withdrawal is another bump in the road for what has been a difficult season so far.

From 13 starts he is without a top-10 finish, with his best result of T17 coming at the Genesis Invitational. He ended 2013 ranked 13th in the world after recording three runners-up finishes and seven further top-10s along with making the US Presidents Cup team.

The 2023 Fortinet Championship winner has now slipped outside of the world's top 30.

Vince Whaley has moved into the first-alternate spot.

World No.31, Sahith Theegala has withdrawn from the 2025 Truist Championship shortly before he was due to tee off in round four.

Theegala was set to play in the first group of the day alongside South African, Garrick Higgo at Philadelphia Cricket Club but was confirmed as having pulled out of the sixth PGA Tour Signature Event of the season due to a neck injury.

The American had opened up his Truist Championship appearance with rounds of 69 and 71, leaving him at level par heading into the weekend, but the 27-year-old struggled badly on Saturday and signed for an eight-over 78 to sit last in the limited-field tournament.

Theegala is due to tee it up at next week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, hoping to better his T12th result at Valhalla last term, but his status at the season's second Major is now up in the air.

Despite showing plenty of signs that he would go on to become a real force on the PGA Tour during his first three campaigns, 2025 has not been kind to the former Pepperdine University player.

The 2023 Fortinet Championship winner has only missed one cut from 13 completed tournaments, but he has also managed just two top-20 results and has finished outside of the top-50 on six occasions.

His best week of the year arrived at The Genesis Invitational in February, where a T17th result at Torrey Pines gave Theegala some brief respite from what has been a tough season otherwise.

Theegala's withdrawal from the Truist Championship follows on from Michael Kim's early exit midway through round three because of a back injury and Justin Rose's decision to pull out after play had concluded on Friday due to illness.

On social media, Rose explained that he had become "progressively ill over the past few days" and was disappointed to be pulling out at a time when he had been playing some good golf.

He wrote on X: "After becoming progressively ill over the past few days, I have made the unfortunate decision to withdraw from the @TruistChamp. I am not in a state to complete, and it’s best for me to focus on a quick recovery prior to next week.

"Thanks to all the fans in Philly for the love this week. It’s a special place to me and I’m sorry it wasn’t a better week!"

While three players are out of the running, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka share the lead by three strokes after 54 holes and will be hoping for another win to boost their own Ryder Cup hopes later this year.

The relationship between a caddie and player plays a pivotal role in success and, following an incredible run of results, it's clear what the influence of Carl Smith plays on World No.13 Sahith Theegala.

Smith has been caddying since 2015 and, in that time, his main success has come with Theegala, who finished third in the FedEx Cup standings in 2024, claiming $8.5 million in the process.

Such is the impact of Smith on Theegala's game, the American rewarded his caddie with an unbelievable gift, specifically a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch, which sells for around $50,000 and is the dream watch for his bagman!

In the video, we see Smith ask "this isn’t for me, is it?” as he opens the case but, shortly after, Theegala makes it clear that the watch is for him, stating "yeah, it is. You earned it. It was a lot of hard work.”

Taking the watch out the box, Smith can be seen trying it on and, in a moment of shock, the caddie states: “Even if you didn’t get me anything, and even if you just say, ‘thank you,’ it makes me want to show up and work harder every day."

As mentioned, Smith has caddied for Theegala since his rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2021-22 and, throughout that time, has been present for the American's wins at the QBE Shootout and Fortinet Championship, with Theegala securing a near $19 million in career earnings.

It's not the first time Theegala has shown his personality. At the Tour Championship in August, the American showed remarkable honesty after he incurred a two-shot penalty for the incident in a bunker, with the American thinking he moved some sand on his backswing before finding the fairway to the left of the green.

Much of his positivity and honesty comes from his parents, Karuna and Muralidhar, who have regularly been seen cheering on their son and various other Tour players.

For example, golf coach Michael Beard previously stated to Arizona Central: “Murli’s the best. He’s not only positive for his son but he’s positive for his other playing partners. If they are playing with Sahith, golfers can always expect some applause and words of encouragement from Muralidhar."

Team USA's Sahith Theegala may well make his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Montreal Golf Club later this month with two 8-irons in the bag.

That's because - according to a story told by NBC Sports reporter, Smylie Kaufman on his podcast 'The Smylie Show' - the in-form player has recently been rocking two clubs with different lofts but the same number on the sole of the clubhead.

Discussing the best or worst superstitions out on tour at the moment with his fellow host, Charlie Hulme, Kaufman recalled a moment from the third round of the Tour Championship at East Lake where he asked Theegala about a fairway-bunker shot and was caught off guard by the American's confusing reply.

Re-living the moment on his podcast, Kaufman said: "The current one that I've seen - this happened at the Tour Championship - is with Sahith Theegala.

"As I'm walking down the first fairway and I'm just like 'what's up, Sahith? Sick fairway-bunker shot, what did you hit there?' And he's like 'well, I hit a 7-iron but it says an eight.' I'm like 'what are you talking about?'

"Sahith is like 'dude, last couple of weeks, I've been really struggling with my 7-iron. I've been mis-hitting it and I've been fatting it, so I showed up to East Lake this week and said 'please, manufacturers, just don't put seven on it. Just put 8-iron on the top.' I was like 'are you serious?'

"I had to go look in his golf bag and, of course, what do I see? I see two 8-irons in his golf bag. All day, I was getting the sign for the 7-iron that he was hitting. I was like 'guys, this is an 8-iron, but it's the 7-iron.'

Evidently, the unique set-up worked wonders as Theegala came from 12th place and three-under before a ball was struck at East Lake to ultimately finish the FedEx Cup in third - six shots behind Scottie Scheffler - and collect an extra $7.5 million.

Coincidentally, it was also during the third round that Theegala called a two-stroke penalty on himself for improving his lie out of a bunker. Although replays were inconclusive, Theegala was convinced he had seen some sand move when hitting out of a bunker on the third hole, causing him to alert an official.

In the end, the act of integrity saw the 26-year-old Californian finish two strokes behind Morikawa in the starting-score-adjusted FedEx Cup table - and one off his fellow American in the gross leaderboard - which cost him roughly $2.5 million.

Sahith Theegala produced one of the performances of the day in the third round of the Tour Championship. His 66 left him third on the leaderboard, up from 12th at the start of the event.

However, it would have been even better but for some remarkable honesty from the American when he called a penalty on himself after his ball found a bunker on the third hole.

Theegala landed in the fairway bunker with his tee shot, but during his second shot, he thought he moved some sand on his backswing before finding the fairway to the left of the green.

At that point, it appears no one other than Theegala was aware of a potential violation, but after he called over a rules official, he was assessed a two-shot penalty.

That’s because Rule 12.2b(1) of the rules of golf states that a player must not “touch sand in the bunker with a club in the area right in front of or right behind the ball.” That includes when making a backswing for a stroke.

After his round, Theegala explained that the trouble began with a unique lie. "It was a very unusual lie," he said. "It was teed up in the sand. It was a really nice lie. So it was an unusual lie, and I usually pick up the club and take it back, but because of the lie, right on my backswing I felt like I moved a few grains of sand for sure. In my peripheral, I thought I saw some of the sand move as I took my backswing."

Theegala then explained that, after notifying playing partner Xander Schauffele, neither thought it would result in a penalty. However, that’s not how the rules official saw it.

He continued: “Immediately after I hit it - I hit it, great contact, great shot, talked to Xander about it. I was like, 'Hey, dude, I think I moved some sand while I hit that shot,' and we thought that it was no big deal because there was no intent, didn't feel like - it didn't actually change the lie at all.

"But unfortunately the rule is it doesn't matter the intent. If you change the lie in the direct area around the ball that could affect your swing, it is a two-shot penalty."

Even TV replays of the shot were inconclusive, but Theegala insisted that his intuition told him he had made the error. He added: “At the end of the day, I've played so much golf. You kind of just trust your intuition and gut, and right away I thought I moved some sand there.

"I'm in the 90s percent that I thought I moved some sand. I'd sleep a lot better if I saw some clear image of me moving the sand. I really think I did move the sand. It's just an unfortunate rule. But what are you going to do, take the two shots on the chin and just roll with it."

Theegala’s honesty would be commendable at any event, but it is perhaps even more so given the high-stakes nature of the FedEx Cup finale. Had he carded a round of 64, it would have left him just two shots off Collin Morikawa in second and the chance to win $12.5m in prize money rather than the $7.5m he will pick up if he remains in third.

Scottie Scheffler finished the third round nine shots ahead of Theegala at the top of the leaderboard, with a $25m first prize to the winner.

Augusta National has thrown up many iconic moments and one of the most memorable came in 2005, when Tiger Woods chipped in from a near impossible lie on the par 3 16th to send the surrounding patrons into absolute raptures.

Since that moment some 18 years ago, there have been many hole-in-ones but rarely chip-ins. That is until now when, playing the final round of The Masters, Sahith Theegala produced an extremely similar chip-in for birdie that, once again, caused the patrons to go crazy. You can watch the stunning chip-in via The Masters app here.

Although the chip from Theegala was slightly further away than Woods', you can't deny that the moment it hits the green it is very similar, with the ball trickling through the fringe and down the slope towards the flagstick.

From there, in a scene we are used to seeing from the number of hole-in-ones on the 16th, the ball rolls down the slope with the marker line never leaving the hole. Rattling the flag, it drops for a birdie with the patrons surrounding the green going berserk as Theegala high fives his caddie!

Obviously the shot sent social media a bit wild, as the PGA Tour tweeted the video with the caption "Tiger-esque from @SRTheegala", whilst multiple other platforms also called out the similarity of the shot from the American.

After holing the chip-in, the drama continued, as Theegala found the fairway with his tee shot on the 17th before his approach clattered into the grandstand that sits long and left of the 17th green. Chipping back on to the green, he subsequently missed the par putt but the 25-year-old looks to finish inside the top-12 to earn an invite to next year's Masters.

Sahith Theegala is one of the PGA Tour's rising stars, having turned professional in 2020 after a glittering college career.

Get to know the American better with these 20 facts about his life and career...

Sahith Theegala facts:

1. Theegala was born in Orange, California, on December 4th 1997.

2. He is of Indian heritage. “I’m definitely proud of my Indian heritage and I hope I’m inspiring other Indian Americans and people in India to know they can compete in sports,” he told Global Indian.

3. He now lives in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston.

4. He graduated from Diamond Bar High School in California, which is the same school that produced Kevin Na. Other notable alums from the school include Major League Baseball's Jim Edmonds, football's Alex Morgan and the NBA's Keith Van Horn.

5. Theegala went to Pepperdine University in California where he studied Sports Administration. He graduated in 2020 and also turned professional in the same year.

6. Whilst at Pepperdine, Theegala was named as a three-time All American and won the 2020 Haskins Award and the Ben Hogan Award in the same year. The Haskins Award is presented annually by the Haskins Commission to honor the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States, and the Ben Hogan Award is an annual prize given by Friends of Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America, since 1990, to the best college golf player in the United States.

7. His dream fourball would be Tiger Woods, his coach Michael Beard from Pepperdine, and his Dad, who doesn't know how to play golf but taught the game to Sahith.

8. One of his hobbies away from the golf course is chess.

9. He acknowledges his father as the reason he got into golf. "He put everything that he could into me. My mom, too, sacrificed so much for me, but my dad’s definitely the reason I’m playing professional golf today," he told the PGA Tour.

10. The people he would most like to meet in sport include Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He also wanted to meet Kobe Bryant before his death in 2020. Speaking in a Q&A he said: "I’ve never gotten to meet Kobe and unfortunately, I never will, but he was definitely on top of my list. He was my sports idol growing up, so that would definitely be the one."

11. He cites Riviera, Martis Camp and Alotian Club as three of his favourite golf courses. As far as courses he wanted to play, the two that stand out are the Old Course at St Andrews, and Royal Melbourne. He got to play St Andrews at the 150th Open.

12. He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 Genesis Open where he finished in a tie for 49th. He was 19 at the time and didn't turn pro for another three years.

13. His Major debut also came in 2017 at the age of 19 after he qualified for the US Open at Erin Hills via the Newport Beach sectional qualifier.

14. Theegala in the past has acknowledged that he is more of a feel type of player and has never been into the mechanics as much as other players. 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.

15. He finished 3rd in his professional debut at the Lone Tree Classic on the Outlaw Tour.

16. His maiden win on the PGA Tour was an unofficial one, coming at the QBE Shootout doubles event with Tom Hoge in December 2022.

17. In September 2023, he claimed his first official PGA Tour title, when he claimed a two stroke victory at the Fortinet Championship

18. He led the PGA Tour in birdies made for the 2021-22 season with a total of 433.

19. His career-low round on the PGA Tour is a 62, which came at the 2022 American Express.

20. He finished T9th in his Masters debut in 2023, which is his best Major finish.

The animated Sahith Theegala has been a breath of fresh air since bursting onto the PGA Tour scene in 2022, and although he's yet to register his first official victory, the American is definitely one to watch in 2023. 

The Pepperdine University graduate did taste victory in 2022, but the QBE Shootout, for which he forged a successful partnership with fellow American, Tom Hoge, is not an official event. It was still a win well worth celebrating, and he had his parents there with him to enjoy the moment.

Theegala started 2023 in Hawaii at the Tournament of Champions, not a bad spot to get your new campaign up and running - and, unsurprisingly, it's quite a popular location with players' families, too, who get the opportunity to relax before the season really kicks in.

And it looks as though Theegala may have company this year, certainly if his Instagram account is anything to go by - and we're not talking about his caddie, Carl Smith. 

The pro golfer shared a picture of himself and who we believe is his new girlfriend, Julianna "Juju" Chan, a swimmer at Pepperdine University Waves. Reports suggest that they started dating when they were both at Pepperdine, where Theegala was a three-time All-American. 

While Theegala was tearing up the golf course, Chan was making headlines in the pool, and her team set a new Pepperdine swim and dive record in the 200-medley relay at the Pacific Coast Swim and Dive Conference Championships in 2019.

It appears that the couple enjoyed a vacation in Maui to celebrate the New Year - but now the hard work begins. For Theegala it's building on a promising start to his PGA Tour career, and for Chan, it's back to her role at Trace, where, according to her LinkedIn profile, she is an Enterprise Customer Success Manager.  

Sahith Theegala is one of the game's upcoming stars, with the American enjoying a hugely successful 2021-22 that saw him really spring into the limelight on the PGA Tour.

Claiming the QBE Shootout alongside his partner, Tom Hoge, Theegala is really forging a career in the game and, in the process, building his reputation and net worth. Here, we take a look at what the young American is worth.

Beginning with prize money, Theegala produced his best year to date in 2021-22 and, in the process, pocketed $3.1 million. Amongst those earnings was a runner-up finish and 11 top 25s.

Currently, his career earnings stand at just over $5 million but, with the amount of success he has had in a short time period, we predict this number to increase significantly over the next few years. What's more, that $5 million doesn't include making it to the Tour Championship finale of the FedEx Cup, where he finished 28th.

You would think that his QBE Shootout would have earned him the biggest paycheck of his career, but in fact his runner-up finish secured him his largest pay day. Finishing behind Xander Schauffele, Theegala pocketed over $900,000, while his QBE Shootout victory netted him $475,000.

Along with the prize money, Theegala has a number of sponsors, with the American signing with Ping in 2020 when he turned professional. Currently, he uses a full Ping set-up with a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball and, along with the clubs, he also has a Ping staff bag.

From what we have seen in tournaments, Theegala also has RBC as one of his sponsors, with technology company, UKG, also partnering the American. Another notable sponsor is Korn Ferry, who are also the main sponsors of the developmental tour for the PGA Tour, with Zurich also sponsoring Theegala. Their logo appears on the left sleeve of his shirt.

Sahith Theegala and Tom Hoge became the first rookie team to win the QBE Shootout in 11 years after holding off the challenge of Ryan Palmer and Charley Hoffman at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida.

Theegala’s 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th saw the duo finish on a 10-under 62 in fourballs to clinch the title, ahead of Palmer and Hoffman’s 65, to win by one shot overall.

The final round wasn’t without issue for the pair, as Theegala pulled a muscle in his left side on the first hole. The injury clearly troubled the American throughout the round. On the par-3 13th, in particular, his wayward tee shot nearly went out of play, while on the next hole, he didn’t fare any better, nearly hitting his second shot into the penalty area. Palmer and Hoffman pushed the pair all the way and could have forced a playoff. However, they each missed birdie putts on the 18th, which proved costly.

“I don’t care what you’re playing for, it’s always fun coming down the stretch there,” Hoge explained after the win. Theegala added: “It just felt great to contribute a little bit. Tom was really holding me up pretty much all around, he made so many really big putts.”

The victory is Theegala's first as a professional, while it's Hoge’s first win since February’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Harris English and Matt Kuchar finished in third, while Max Homa and Kevin Kisner took fourth. LPGA Tour player and World No.2 Nelly Korda, who teamed up with Denny McCarthy, finished fifth.

The next stop on the PGA Tour schedule is January's Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course in Hawaii's Kapalua Golf Resort.

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Golf is a game full of weird and wonderful breaks, with even the professionals not immune from a bit of bad luck from time to time. However, at the QBE Shootout, Sahith Theegala was treated to one of the most luckiest and unluckiest shots we have ever seen.

The bizarre shot, which occurred at the 18th hole of his first day, was a strange one, as his approach at the last seemed to land on a golf ball of his playing partners and catapult over the green. Initially, it seemed that the ball that vaulted was the American's but, on closer inspection, Theegala's golf ball actually stayed on the putting surface, as this video below shows.

Striking a crisp iron on the par 4 last, the American's shot never left the flag as it began its descent. Coming in to land, it looked as though it was going to finish close but, as quick as a flash, it appeared to take a ginormous bounce over the back of the green.

The reaction from the commentary team summed up the situation rather well, as a chorus of "ooohs" was followed by "it hit the back ball. If his is the one that ricocheted over the back of the green then that is a terrible break!"

After a slight quibble, Theegala's ball wasn't the one that went over the back of the green, not that it mattered though, as his playing partner, Tom Hoge, was in fact closer than his teammate. What's more, in the scramble format where both players play from the best positioned golf ball, it was 25-year-old, Theegala, who holed the birdie putt, as the duo moved into a huge six-way tie for fourth at 12-under-par.

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Cameron Young has been named the 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, seeing off competition from Tom Kim and Sahith Theegala to succeed 2021 winner Will Zalatoris.

The American earned the Arnold Palmer Award for a hugely impressive 2021/22 season that included seven top 10 finishes from his 25 tournaments. Of those, he was runner-up five times, including in the 150th Open at St Andrews. He also finished his rookie season a highly creditable 19th in the FedEx Cup standings.

The 25-year-old, from Scarborough, New York, burst onto the PGA Tour in style after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021. Despite stiff competition from Kim and Theegala, that impressive introduction to the Tour saw Young win an incredible 94 percent of the vote, which was open to PGA Tour members who played in more than 15 official FedEx Cup events during the 2021-22 season.

Speaking ahead of the CJ Cup at Congaree, Young said: “It’s very special. I know the namesake Arnold Palmer obviously was a giant in the game of golf, and we have him to thank for a lot of what we do today, what the PGA Tour is. Just to have, to be related to that in some small way, is very cool. I know we had a very strong rookie class, and I know it’s voted by my peers, so it’s a huge honour to be thought of in that way, just to kind of finish the year that way."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan offered his congratulations to Young, saying: “Congratulations to Cameron Young on being voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year by his peers. Cameron’s career has seen a remarkable rise over the last several years, and he quickly became a favourite among fans last season with the style in which he attacks the golf course. And of course, given Cameron’s Wake Forest ties, receiving the Arnold Palmer Award as PGA Tour Rookie of the Year will certainly hold a special significance for him.”

Young graduated from Wake Forest University in 2019, and he and Zalatoris are the first pair from the same college to win Rookie of the Year in successive seasons. Meanwhile, apart from running winner Cameron Smith so close at the Open Championship in July, Young also finished runner-up at the Sanderson Farms Championship, The Genesis Invitational, Wells Fargo Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic – a tie for the most runner-up finishes by any player in a single season over the past 40 years, with Vijay Singh the last to achieve the feat 19 years ago.

It wasn’t just Young’s results that were impressive, though – his earnings eclipsed those of any other rookie in PGA Tour history, with $6,520,598. While Young is yet to win on the PGA Tour, he entered the 2022/23 season as the highest-ranked player without a victory, at World No.17, accentuating his consistent form throughout the season.

Young's award comes after Masters champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was named PGA Tour Player Of The Year last month. 

The ascent of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf has meant that the issue of money in the game has never been far from the headlines in 2022. However, for Sahith Theegala, if it came down to a choice between money and the chance to compete in Majors, there’s only one winner. 

Speaking ahead of the Zozo Championship in Japan, the American said: “Oh, Majors for sure, not even close. OK, I don't want to say like money isn't a factor because anyone who says it isn't a factor is lying. It's a big factor. But I think if you asked a lot of the guys out here that truly - they do it to make money, but once you've kind of established yourself out here, you can make enough money playing golf on the PGA Tour and it's not about that anymore for a lot of guys.”

The World No.54 has yet to enjoy success in Majors with his best finish to date being the tie for 34th he achieved in July’s 150th Open at St Andrews. Meanwhile, he’s still awaiting his first PGA Tour win. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is beginning to make an impact in the game, as evidenced by his PGA Tour Rookie of the Year nomination and tie for 6th in the PGA Tour season opener, The Fortinet Championship.

Theegala is aiming for another solid PGA Tour performance in Japan, and he explained why he thinks it's the best Tour, despite the temptations offered by LIV Golf. He said: “I still feel like honestly the PGA Tour is where the best golf is being played and the best players still are. But again, like at least for me, and I've talked about it with a lot of other rookies last year, we've dreamt to play on the PGA Tour and all the legacy and history that comes with that, it's all great and it's very important.”

For Theegala, though, competing in Majors is his ultimate aim. Despite a tough test awaiting him as part of a strong field this week, he explained he’s already looking ahead to next year’s biggest events. He said: “I bet I'm going to be so nervous at Augusta, but I already know it's going to be one of the best weeks of my life. The Open was incredible, but at the time it kind of felt like a one-off. Like I said, what I want to do is just compete against the best in the world and try to get the best out of myself and soak it all in with other guys. I don't think there's any better place to do that than at a Major championship.”

Sahith Theegala What's In The Bag?

A player who finally got into the PGA Tour winner's circle in 2023 at the Fortinet Championship, Sahith Theegala is a rising star in the game of golf so we have taken a look at his bag setup in this piece.

Driver

What Driver Does Sahith Theegala Use?

Starting at the top of the bag, Theegala has a Ping G440 LST driver, which features a 'CarbonFly crown' and features amongst our best drivers guide. He was one of the first players to switch to the newest Ping drivers from his old G430 LST. It's a 9 degree head tuned down to 8 degrees.

A carbon crown might not seem significant, but it has a fundamental impact on the performance of the club. The lighter material lowers the centre of gravity, which in turn will produce a lower launch with reduced spin and increased distance. As carbon is a lighter material, it pulls mass from the crown of the club and allows it to be positioned elsewhere - expected to be further back for added forgiveness. His model is fitted with a Mitsubishi Diamana BB 63 TX shaft.

Fairway Wood

What Fairway Wood Does Sahith Theegala Use?

Theegala carried two fairway woods. His first is the Ping G440 Max 4-wood. The 4-wood was re-introduced as part of Ping's fairway wood lineup in 2025 to better help players with gapping at the top of the bag. It has a stated loft of 17°, but Theegala has weakened it to 16° via the loft sleeve. This is fitted with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX, tipped 1 inch.

His second fairway wood is a Ping G440 max 9-wood. This has a stated loft of 24°, which Theegala has opted to maintain. It is fitted with a Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 90 6.5 TX shaft.

Irons

What Irons Does Sahith Theegala Use?

Theegala uses the Ping Blueprint S irons. He carries a 4-6 iron and then an 8-PW, with two 8-irons. Theegala hates the number 7 and, in turn, his 7-iron. To combat this, he asked Ping to make him one strong 8 iron and one normal 8 iron, and he calls the stronger 8-iron his '8 plus'. All his irons are fitted with Project X 6.5 shafts.

Wedges

What Wedges Does Sahith Theegala Use?

Theegala carries three wedges, all of which are Ping S159. He carries them in 50-12S, 54-12S, and a 62° T-grind bent to 59°. His 50° is fitted with a Project X 6.5 shaft, while the 54° and 62° wedges are fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.

Putter

What Putter Does Sahith Theegala Use?

His putter has remained the same for a while now, and it is a Ping TR 1966 Anser 2 Prototype. The Anser has always been crucial to the Ping family – widely regarded as one of the best putters of all time, the model turned 50 in 2016 and the brand always makes an Anser blade design in all of its putter ranges. 

Ball

What Ball Does Sahith Theegala Use?

Finally Theegala uses the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball and has done for a while now. Providing superb all-round performance, it produces impressive distance off the tee, as well as excellent control in and around the greens. As such it is easily one of the best golf balls money can buy. 

Shoes

What Shoes Does Sahith Theegala Wear?

Theegala wears the FootJoy Pro/SLX Carbon golf shoes. He wears FootJoy apparel too.

Sahith Theegala WITB: Full Specs

Driver: Ping G440 LST 9° @ 8° with a Mitsubishi Diamana BB 63 TX shaft

4-wood: Ping G440 Max 17° @ 16° with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX (tipped 1 inch)

9-wood: Ping G440 Max 24°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 90 6.5 TX shaft

Irons: Ping Blueprint S (4-PW), Project X 6.5 shaft

Wedges: Ping S159 (50-12S, 54-12S, 62T @59), Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 59)

Putter: Ping TR 1966 Anser 2

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Shoes: FootJoy Pro/SLX Carbon

Sahith Theegala is yet to win an official PGA Tour event, but he's something of a rising star and looks to be a winner in waiting - and he has a pretty good bagman alongside him in the shape of Carl Smith. 

And here's how the pair got together. “Funny story, [Carl Smith] recruited me at Pepperdine, he was the assistant coach at Pepperdine, he recruited me, watched so many of my events, and him and Michael Beard the head coach there were two of the biggest reasons why I wanted to go to Pepperdine,” he has explained previously.

“And [Smith] actually ended up leaving to caddie right before I got there, so it kind of worked full circle that he actually caddied for me in the Korn Ferry Finals, those two final events and got me to the Tour, so it was pretty cool how that worked out."

Smith, who has been caddying on the PGA Tour since 2015, has quite a relaxed relationship with Theegala, and says their chat inside the ropes is rarely about golf. "We talk about basketball all the time because I follow basketball and the Lakers a lot,” Smith said in an interview with the PGA Tour in January 2022. "Last week, though, at Sony he was really excited about Klay Thompson coming back to the Warriors with Steph (Curry) and Klay back together."

Theegala, who won the 2022 QBE Shootout in December 2022, has gained a reputation for pulling off some incredible escape shots, and Smith says that he's had to learn to trust him. "He has this ability if he’s out of position off the tee to just shape it crazy around trees. There’s probably one shot a tournament that I’m just, 'Alright, I’m going to let him do it, I guess,' and I’ve never regretted it," Smith said. "He always seems to pull it off."