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 of us’ applause.
And a great evening’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 is going to probably 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 fireplace a formidable five-under 66 on Saturday. Sunday, in the course of the last 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 as a result of infraction. The financial injury 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 — which 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 professionals starting a sure variety of pictures below par primarily based on their play in the course of the 12 months — however the OWGR acknowledges solely the tally with out the bonus strokes. There, Morikawa gained, with a 22-under rating, one shot higher than Theegala, and you are able to do the mathematics had no penalty occurred.
Demoralizing? Depends upon your perspective, in fact.
Quite a lot of observers applauded Theegala. The reward got here through 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 some other sport.”
Mentioned announcer Dan Hicks: “It simply provides you additional thought the standard man that Sahith Theegala is.”
Mentioned Faxon: “You may look within the mirror whenever you stand up, that’s for certain.”
Mentioned Hicks: “It’s about doing the best 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 in regards to 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 100% certain he’d executed something unsuitable, placing it at “98, 99 p.c” certainty that he’d brushed simply grains of sand.
It wasn’t an choice.
Saturday evening, a reporter notably had this alternate with him, with the query written in italics, and Theegala’s response beneath it.
“Would you sleep badly if you happen to hadn’t known as it on your self?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be capable of sleep,” he began.
“I used to be describing the state of affairs — it doesn’t matter what the end result was, I wanted to know what the precise rule was,” Theegala continued. “Despite the fact that me and Xander [playing partner Xander Schauffele] thought it’s simply no matter, it’s fantastic, 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 method, I’d have requested the foundations officers after the spherical, too, or someway discovered what the rule was, and if I didn’t ask a guidelines official and I went again residence and seemed 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, seemed 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 just a little bit higher now. There’s numerous foolish stuff you are able to do within the bunker. You may chuck a membership within the bunker, you may actually stand — you need to use your golf membership as a stand within the bunker. So long as it’s not proper subsequent to your ball.
“There’s numerous 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.”
