Sahith Theegala is winner, everybody has known that, and now he has proven it.
The 25-year-old Theegala, from Chino Hills and Pepperdine, carded a four-under-par 68 in front of family and friends to claim a two-stroke victory over S.H. Kim of South Korea, who was playing on his 25th birthday, in the Fortinet Championship on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa.
This was the first event of the inaugural PGA Tour Fall Series.
“It just doesn’t feel real right now, but it’s just so great to win on the PGA Tour,” said Theegala, who won 11 times in big amateur events, including the 2019 Southern California Amateur Championship. “I just played so much good golf all week and it was so much fun with everybody cheering me on.
“I went to bed each night thinking about how wonderful it was to have all those people out there rooting for me. They all mean so much to me, and it was great to win for them. I just tried to keep my head down and keep playing well, but having all that support out there meant so much to me.
“They definitely had my back out there and we’re going to celebrate tonight.”
Theegala, whose only previous pro victory came in the QBE Shootout, an unofficial team event with Tom Hoge, collected seven birdies in his 68 to record a winning score of 21-under-par 267 and equal the tournament record set by Stewart Cin in 2020.
Kim, who has won three pro events in Asia but not yet on the PGA Tour, closed with a bogey-free 68, while Cam Davis of Australia holed his second shot on the 12th hole for an eagle and birdied No. 18 for a 70 to wind up four shots back in third, followed by rookie Eric Cole of Palm Springs, who also had a 70 to finish five down in fourth; former world No. 1 Justin Thomas, who birdied the last hole to salvage a 72 and was six back in fifth, and Brendon Todd, who birdied four holes on each nine and was seven behind in sixth.
Seventh-ranked Max Homa of Valencia and Cal, the two-time defending Fortinet champion, sank a 12-foot eagle putt at No. 12 and birdied the last hole for a 69 to finish eight strokes back in a tie for seventh with Troy Merritt, who made four birdies on each nine in a 65; Callum Tarren of England, who birdied the last hole for a 71, and Kuchar, who made only two birdies in a 73.
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