Newtown Square (Pennsylvania) [US], May 16 (ANI): Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala, on Saturday, showed tremendous resilience and composure to survive a disastrous triple bogey and still comfortably make the cut at the 2026 PGA Championship, running from May 11-17 at Aronimink Golf Club.
After beginning the tournament with a strong opening-round 68 that placed him inside the top 10, Theegala slipped to tied-30th position at the halfway stage following a challenging second-round 73 in difficult weather conditions, according to a release.
The 28-year-old, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour due to his aggressive style and charismatic personality, finished 36 holes at one-over-par overall. Despite the drop on the leaderboard, he remained only five shots behind co-leaders Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley, who shared the lead at four-under-par 136 after two rounds.
Theegala’s second round was a story of both brilliance and adversity. Early in the day, his iron play remained sharp, and he appeared poised to continue his climb up the leaderboard.
However, strong afternoon winds and dropping temperatures made scoring increasingly difficult.
The turning point in Theegala’s round came at the par-4 10th hole. After a steady start that included two birdies and a bogey between the sixth and ninth holes, disaster struck when his approach shot from a greenside bunker sailed long and disappeared into thick vegetation behind the green. The ball appeared to strike a branch before vanishing, leaving players, officials, volunteers, and television crews searching. When the ball could not be located within the allotted three-minute limit, Theegala was assessed a lost-ball penalty.
The costly mistake resulted in a triple-bogey seven, threatening to derail his tournament entirely. Yet the Californian responded admirably under pressure, regaining composure over the closing stretch to limit the damage and ensure he stayed inside the cut line. His final score of three-over 73 was enough to keep him at one-over for the championship, safely advancing to the weekend rounds.
Theegala, who, like Akshay Bhatia, is sponsored by Hero, is placed alongside several marquee names, including Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, in a crowded tie for 30th place. He also remained just three strokes behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, highlighting how tightly packed the leaderboard remained after two demanding rounds.
This year’s PGA Championship has been especially significant for golf fans of Indian heritage, with four players of Indian origin competing in the field. However, only two players — Theegala and Indo-British golfer Aaron Rai — managed to survive the cut.
Rai continued his impressive consistency with rounds of 70 and 69 to sit tied for 16th place at one-under-par 139. The 31-year-old Englishman, known for wearing two gloves during competition, relied on his trademark accuracy and disciplined ball striking to handle the difficult conditions better than many of the world’s elite players. Rai’s precise approach game allowed him to avoid costly mistakes while piling up birdies at regular intervals.
In fact, Rai recorded nine birdies across the first two rounds, placing him among the leaders in total birdies for the tournament. His steady performance has positioned him strongly heading into the weekend and raised hopes of a possible top-10 finish.
In contrast, the other two players of Indian heritage in the field were unable to progress further. Indian-American Akshay Bhatia, who entered the event after a promising PGA Tour season, struggled badly off the tee during Friday’s windy conditions. After a solid beginning to his round, the 24-year-old repeatedly found Aronimink’s punishing rough, leading to several costly bogeys on the back nine.
Bhatia eventually carded a four-over 74 to finish at five-over-par 145, missing the cut by the narrowest possible margin — a single stroke. The heartbreaking finish brought an abrupt end to what had otherwise been a highly encouraging season for the young left-hander.
Meanwhile, Indo-Canadian rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju endured a difficult debut appearance at a major championship. The 24-year-old shot rounds of 75 and 75 to finish well outside the cut line, gaining valuable experience despite the disappointing result.
At the top of the leaderboard, Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley emerged as surprise co-leaders after handling the brutal weather conditions better than most. Aronimink’s swirling winds and plunging temperatures created chaos throughout the field, causing dramatic leaderboard swings and exposing even the biggest stars to mistakes.
Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama briefly held the clubhouse lead after producing an excellent three-under 67 before being overtaken later in the day. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also endured a turbulent round, opening with bogeys on three of his first four holes before fighting back strongly to post a one-over 71 and remain just two shots behind the leaders.
Rory McIlroy produced one of the standout performances of the day. After beginning the tournament with a disappointing first-round 74 that left him in danger of missing the cut, the World No. 2 responded brilliantly with a superb three-under 67 in the toughest afternoon conditions. His remarkable recovery ensured he comfortably qualified for the weekend at one-over-par overall, tied alongside Theegala.
The demanding conditions at Aronimink claimed several major stars. Bryson DeChambeau suffered a shocking collapse and missed the cut after finishing at seven-over-par. Also heading home early were Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark, Keegan Bradley, and Viktor Hovland, further underlining the severity of the challenge presented by the course and weather.
Theegala will now head into the third round looking to continue his recovery alongside fellow American Bud Cauley. Other notable pairings for the weekend include Rory McIlroy with Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler with Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa with Matti Schmid as the battle for the Wanamaker Trophy intensifies. (ANI)
