Sahith Theegala on Sunday on the 18th gap at East Lake Golf Membership.
Getty Photographs
Two-and-a-half-million {dollars} undeposited. A win within the eyes of the Official World Golf Rating unrecorded.
However Sahith Theegala seemingly earned numerous people’ applause.
And a very good night time’s relaxation.
After a much-discussed transfer from the 26-year-old professional throughout Saturday’s third spherical of the Tour Championship, the summation of it would seemingly learn one thing like this then: It was each expensive — and priceless. On East Lake Golf Membership’s third gap, after dumping his tee ball right into a fairway bunker, Theegala had self-reported a guidelines infraction after he brushed sand on the takeaway of his second stroke, and the fallout from a two-stroke deduction was a bit extraordinary.
There was the cash. The Tour Championship is each the PGA Tour’s season-ending occasion and its highest-paying event. Dropped pictures are expensive, particularly these from gamers close to the highest of the leaderboard, the place the payouts are within the seven figures, and that was the spot Theegala discovered himself after he rallied after the penalty to fireside a formidable five-under 66 on Saturday. Sunday, through the ultimate spherical, he was two higher and formally completed third, six pictures behind winner Scottie Scheflfer — and two behind runner-up Collin Morikawa.
Two. The identical variety of strokes he dropped because of the infraction. The financial harm for it? Morikawa earned $12.5 million and Theegala introduced residence $7.5 million, however had they tied for second, every professional would have cashed for $10 mill — that means Theegala’s name misplaced him the $2.5 million.
Then there’s the leaderboard. The Tour Championship performs its occasion below a staggered-start format, with execs starting a sure variety of pictures below par based mostly on their play through the yr — however the OWGR acknowledges solely the tally with out the bonus strokes. There, Morikawa received, with a 22-under rating, one shot higher than Theegala, and you are able to do the mathematics had no penalty occurred.
Demoralizing? Is dependent upon your viewpoint, after all.
Various observers applauded Theegala. The reward got here by way of social media. It was heard on NBC’s broadcast on Sunday.
Mentioned analyst Brad Faxon as Theegala performed the 18th gap: “Makes you like golf whenever you see that. Not often do you hear about that in another sport.”
Mentioned announcer Dan Hicks: “It simply offers you additional thought the standard man that Sahith Theegala is.”
The foundations penalty that will value Sahith Theegala thousands and thousands? Right here’s his facet
Mentioned Faxon: “You may look within the mirror whenever you stand up, that’s for positive.”
Mentioned Hicks: “It’s about doing the correct factor for Theegala, and that’s all that mattered.”
Theegala’s girlfriend, Julianna Chan, additionally weighed in. On Saturday, she posted a TikTok video the place she interviewed Theegala concerning the second, then added this: “Clearly Sahith is a person of integrity.”
All of which raises this thought:
What if Theegala had merely moved on after the bunker shot? Saved quiet. Nobody noticed what occurred — and even Theegala himself wasn’t one hundred pc positive he’d executed something incorrect, placing it at “98, 99 p.c” certainty that he’d brushed simply grains of sand.
It wasn’t an possibility.
Saturday night time, a reporter notably had this change with him, with the query written in italics, and Theegala’s response beneath it.
“Would you sleep badly when you hadn’t known as it on your self?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be capable of sleep,” he began.
“I used to be describing the scenario — it doesn’t matter what the end result was, I wanted to know what the precise rule was,” Theegala continued. “Regardless that me and Xander [playing partner Xander Schauffele] thought it’s simply no matter, it’s effective, you touched a grain of sand, didn’t imply to maneuver it, you’re good. I made a decision to name the foundations official immediately on that inexperienced. However both means, I’d have requested the foundations officers after the spherical, too, or by some means discovered what the rule was, and if I didn’t ask a guidelines official and I went again residence and regarded up the rule — it was sitting in my thoughts.
“Once more, instinct, it felt like I moved the sand. It was sitting in my thoughts. If I went again after the spherical, regarded that up and discovered that it was a two-shot penalty, I’d be DQ’d proper now. So I’m glad I introduced it up immediately. I do know the foundations of golf slightly bit higher now. There’s quite a lot of foolish stuff you are able to do within the bunker. You may chuck a membership within the bunker, you’ll be able to actually stand — you should use your golf membership as a stand within the bunker. So long as it’s not proper subsequent to your ball.
“There’s quite a lot of issues you are able to do. However sadly if it’s within the space affecting the lie and the swing of your shot, no matter intent, it’s a two-shot penalty.”
