Sahith Theegala signed for a bogey-free 5-under 66 Thursday at the 3M Open in Minnesota. He sits tied for fifth after the first round of the tournament.
After missing the cut in all three of his previous starts, the PGA Tour winner came out strong on a pure TPC Twin Cities track.
Theegala committed early to play in the 3M Open this season, planning to use this event as a momentum booster for the playoffs.
When he turned pro in 2020, this tournament was among the first to offer him a sponsor exemption.
“It’s the perfect storm,” Theegala said after his round on Thursday. “They’ve been so good to me, and it’s a well-run event, one of the best run events, and they treat you right. The Golf course is pure. The grounds crew does a great job. All of that keeps me coming back here.”
His opening round score is the best to date at this event. Theegala loves this event, but he has not always thought that the track suits his game. The former Pepperdine golfer struggled off the tee most of his career but is now excited about playing it even more.
“I didn’t think the golf course suited my game until this year,” he said. “Off the tee’s so important out here. I was excited to come back because it’s been the biggest improvement in my game. It’s like a revenge week for me, and I wanted to come back and see what I can do on the golf course that’s beat me up pretty bad the last three years.”
He ranks No. 12 in strokes gained off the tee (+1.589) and around the green (+1.156).
In strokes gained total, Theegala sits T6 at +4.424. He hit 9-of-14 fairways and 15-of-18 greens. It was a solid first round for the 26-year-old.
Theegala is No. 7 in the FedEx Cup standings. He has two runner-up finishes, six Top 10s, and nine Top 25s in 20 starts. This week is not about points for him, as he is in the playoffs.
However, he came to conquer something internally with this track.
“This is the only week where I genuinely feel I’m not even worried about the score; I want to beat the golf course,” Theegala said. “I’m not even looking at other guys or the board — I don’t care what they shoot. I want to feel like I’ve tackled this course. Some guys would shy away, but I have no problem taking it on. If I fail, so be it, but I don’t want to let the course get the best of me again.”
Sahith Theegala called the 3M Open a “revenge week,” after he’s struggled here in the past.
Wanted to come back to get another crack at it. So far so good with a 5-under 67.
“I’m not even worried about the score, I just want to beat the golf course.” pic.twitter.com/fZHtZPl5qu
— Paul Hodowanic (@PaulHodowanic) July 25, 2024
Theegala seems on a mission, and the first round went to him. The next step will likely be to make the cut and play all four days.
He will get a later tee time for Friday’s round as he will play with Nick Dunlap and Keegan Bradley at 1:54 p.m. ET.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
