HONOLULU, Hawaii — The PGA Tour opens its 2026 season this week at the Sony Open, with Sahith Theegala arriving in Hawaii determined to turn the page after an injury-disrupted year.
Once ranked as high as No. 11 in the world, the 27-year-old Californian saw his momentum stall in 2025 as injuries curtailed his schedule and forced him into a prolonged search for form during the fall. The new season, Theegala said, represents a chance to rebuild confidence and post stronger finishes as he works his way back toward the top tier of the game.
Theegala’s presence at Waialae Country Club continues to draw attention from fans in India and across the global Indian diaspora. Known for its coastal winds and emphasis on precision over power, Waialae offers the first true test of form in the new PGA Tour calendar. Theegala is grouped with Ireland’s Seamus Power and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan for the opening two rounds.
Interest will also center on Aaron Rai, the Englishman of Indian descent who, like Theegala, has already claimed a PGA Tour victory.
This year’s Sony Open features a strong field, including four players ranked inside the world’s top 10: Russell Henley, JJ Spaun, U.S. Open champion Robert MacIntyre, and Ben Griffin. Other notable contenders include Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, and Collin Morikawa, all ranked within the top 20.
With proven champions, FedExCup contenders, and recent Korn Ferry Tour graduates in the field, the Sony Open once again serves as an early-season barometer. For Theegala, it also represents a chance to reset his trajectory.
Born in 1997 in Orange, California, to Indian Telugu immigrant parents Muralidhar and Karuna Theegala, Sahith turned professional in 2020 and has since collected two PGA Tour wins. He is a three-time NCAA All-American at Pepperdine University and, in his final collegiate season, captured victories at the Southwestern Invitational, the Alister MacKenzie Invitational, and the Australian Master of the Amateurs.
Theegala enters the Sony Open after narrowly missing the cut at the RSM Classic, the final event of the PGA Tour’s fall season. He closed that tournament with five birdies over his final six holes, following an opening-round even-par 70 at the Seaside course with a 6-under 66 at the Plantation course. Despite reaching 6-under for the tournament, he finished one shot short of the cut line.
As the 2026 season begins, Theegala will look to turn flashes of form into consistent results, starting on the familiar fairways of Waialae. (Source: IANS)
