ATLANTA – Sahith Theegala admits to being almost certain that he accidentally moved some sand while taking a swing out of a bunker at East Lake Golf Club.
Theegala, unsure of the precise rule in question, immediately informed his playing partner Xander Schauffele and PGA Tour rules officials about the incident. He willingly accepted a two-stroke penalty for the infraction on the third hole, which could have jeopardized his chances at the Tour Championship and cost him a significant amount of money. To provide context, the FedEx Cup payout offers $25 million to the champion, $12.5 million for second place, and $7.5 million for third.
Currently sitting in third place at 17 under, Theegala trails behind Scottie Scheffler (26) and Collin Morikawa (21).
If Theegala intended to forget about the miscue on hole No. 3, he certainly made up for it with an impressive back nine. The 26-year-old golfer managed to secure seven birdies on his final eight holes, including holes 14 through 18. This outstanding performance propelled him to third place after the third round of the tour’s season finale on Saturday.
“I had some momentum putts that helped me keep the birdies going,” Theegala commented on his exceptional back-nine play. “A lot of my game is feeling really good right now.”
The penalty resulted in Theegala carding a 5-under 66 rather than a potential 7-under 64.
Theegala, a young player participating in his second Tour Championship, hit his drive at the par-4 third hole into a bunker. He described having an exceptionally favorable lie, with the ball sitting up on the sand. As he initiated his backswing, he observed what he believed to be grains of sand flying off with the clubhead.
According to golf’s well-known rule, players are not allowed to ground their club in the sand when addressing the ball. Theegala was uncertain if this rule also applied during the backswing. However, rules officials quickly informed him that it would result in a two-stroke penalty, transforming his par into a double bogey on the third hole.
“Unfortunately, regardless of intent, the rule states that any alteration to the direct area surrounding the ball that could potentially affect the swing incurs a two-shot penalty,” explained Theegala after his round. “I am paying the price for the mistake, and I can accept that.”
Theegala had the chance to review the incident with rules officials before signing his scorecard, but there was no conclusive video evidence to overturn the penalty.
Theegala admitted that he would have had a more peaceful sleep if he had witnessed his suspicion confirmed on camera. However, if he had neglected to penalize himself?
“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep, no matter what the outcome,” he confessed. “Regardless of the penalty, I needed to know what the actual rule was.”
“I chose to immediately call the rules official on the green. Otherwise, I would have asked the rules officials after the round or found out about the rule somehow. It would have been lingering in my mind,” Theegala added.
Overcoming the incident was not easy for Theegala. He even vented his frustration by throwing his water bottle after completing the hole.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve. It was tough not to get upset about it,” Theegala acknowledged. “However, I managed to make a crucial par on the fourth hole. I thought it saved my round.”
“Yeah, I’m just really happy I made that putt because if I hadn’t, I would have been quite frustrated walking to the fifth hole. It fueled my determination a little bit more, I suppose. I tried to harness that positive energy. My caddie, Carl Smith, kept reassuring me that I had been playing great. Just keep doing what I’m doing. Two shots are a significant margin, but ultimately, there’s a lot more golf to be played,” Theegala shared.
Theegala finally turned his frustration into positive scores at the par-3 11th hole, landing his tee shot only 6 feet away from the pin and successfully making a birdie. He initiated a closing surge with a 10-footer birdie at the par-5 14th hole. This rally also involved a remarkable pitch on the 18th hole, leaving him with a straightforward tap-in.
Had Theegala not penalized himself and the violation was discovered later, he could have faced disqualification from the event. Nonetheless, his decision to report the incident demonstrated commendable integrity. The playoff finale carries a purse worth $100 million, and the difference between finishing third and fourth place amounts to $1.5 million.
“I have played so much golf that I can’t help but spend a considerable amount of time focusing on the lie and the ball I have. It just didn’t feel like a normal fairway bunker shot. It felt like some of the sand moved,” Theegala further reflected on his decision. “At the end of the day, I’m satisfied with the ruling, and I believe it’s fair that I received a two-stroke penalty.”