From Hyderabad to California: Sahith Theegala hopes his dream journey inspires Indian golfers

The GenAm accent will instantly reveal Sahith Theegala as a born American. But he has not snapped the emotional umbilical cord with India, and nourishes the dream of inspiring a new crop of golfers in his ancestral land.

Theegala, whose parents Muralidhar and Karuna had migrated to the US from Hyderabad in the mid-1980s, is one of the three Indian-origin golfers featuring in the ongoing Hero World Challenge along with Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.

But among them, Theegala, the World No. 12, has an unmissable Indianness about him primarily because his parents have made the visit to the motherland a compulsory annual event.

“I love my Indian culture and heritage. I was just in India a few weeks ago. Just all the positive feedback and all the love I get from there is incredible,” said Theegala.

“It's the first time I've been back since I've turned professional. They'll say congrats and then forget about it. Careers don't matter. It was cool to see how much they watch me, cheer me on and it motivates me more as well,” he added.

Muralidhar, a graduate from IIT Madras, explained the reason behind those trips to India.

“My wife's parents helped us quite a bit with the birth of both my kids (Sahith and his brother). My parents also used to come to the US," Muralidhar told PTI.

“So, we made it a point every year to go back, see them, the grandparents, because we wanted to make sure that our kids get their Indian culture.

“So our goal was to ensure that we go to India every once a year even if it was not convenient. My wife used to take him (Sahith) every year. That’s why he has this special love for Hyderabad.”

Theegala’s love for Hyderabad has reflected in his liking for the signature Andhra dishes too, known for their spicy flavour.

“We made sure that the kids get a taste of our cuisine. At home, my wife makes really spicy food, she loves it and Sahith too likes that kind of food especially the chicken varieties. It’s also a way for us to stay true to our roots,” said Muralidhar.

Theegala acknowledged the role his parents played in his growth as professional golfer, but, more importantly, as a value-filled individual.

“I have the greatest set of parents. I give them all the credit in the world. I don't know how they did it, you know, growing up in India and then trying to balance the academic, the new cultural and social life of California," he said.

“They were able to balance it out so well with me and my brother, giving me not only athletic opportunities but instilling academic importance,” said the 27-year-old.

“So, yeah, my whole family's Indian and I love the culture and heritage and love that I can be a representative for them,” he added.

But Theegala nourishes a deeper ambition than just doing personally well on the PGA Tour. He wants to be a role model and inspire a new generation of Indian golfers.

“The system is tough in India and I know it's getting better. We're pouring more money, resources and better coaching for kids from a younger age to have success in sport. I know a lot of space is still being eaten up by cricket, but there are more programmes going in that stance.

“I expect to see a lot of great athletes coming out of India soon and great athletes of Indian-origin around the world. Hopefully, all three of us can set good examples,” he signed off.