Four Indian-Origin Golfers Make History in 2026 FedEx Cup Playoffs
Memphis, Tennessee — Akshay Bhatia, Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala and rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju will make history this week as four golfers of Indian heritage compete together in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time.
The quartet is part of the 70-player field at the $20 million FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, the opening event of the 2026 playoffs.
Players must remain inside the top 50 of the updated FedEx Cup standings after the tournament to advance to the BMW Championship. From there, only the top 30 will qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.
Bhatia enters the postseason as the highest-ranked Indian-origin player in the field at No. 14 in the FedEx Cup standings. The 24-year-old left-hander has enjoyed a strong season highlighted by a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Known for aggressive ball-striking and creative shot-making, Bhatia skipped the regular-season finale to prepare for the playoff stretch. TPC Southwind’s narrow fairways are expected to place a premium on accuracy off the tee.
Rai, who represents England, begins the playoffs at No. 35 following a breakthrough season that included a victory at the PGA Championship, making him the first golfer of Indian heritage to win a men’s major championship.
One of the PGA Tour’s more accurate iron players, Rai could be well suited to a course where approach play and greens in regulation are particularly important. He secured his playoff position comfortably and finished tied for 29th at the Wyndham Championship.
Theegala enters at No. 44 after rebounding from an injury-affected 2025 season in which he missed the playoffs for the first time in his career.
The American returned this season with swing adjustments and posted several strong results, including top-10 finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational. His short game and scrambling ability could be important around TPC Southwind’s numerous water hazards.
Yellamaraju, a Canadian rookie, begins the week at No. 54 and will need to move inside the top 50 to advance.
The 24-year-old has emerged as one of the surprises of the PGA Tour season, making 14 cuts in 17 starts. His campaign has included a top-five finish at The Players Championship and a tie for eighth at the RBC Canadian Open.
Yellamaraju will play alongside Sungjae Im in the opening round, while Theegala is paired with former FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay. Bhatia will play with Jacob Bridgeman, and Rai will be paired with Bud Cauley.
While world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are among the leading names in the field, the Indian-origin quartet will have an opportunity to extend a milestone season as the PGA Tour postseason gets underway. (Source: IANS)
