Beloved Sahith Theegala Earns Maiden PGA Tour Win, Justin Thomas Shows Life, Ludvig Aberg Proves He's Human In England, Team Europe Very Much Trending
The new-look Fall Swing on the PGA Tour did not disappoint right out of the gates with Sahith Theegala picking up his first win on Tour at the Fortinet Championship. It was only a matter of time before one of the most beloved players in the game found the winner's circle, and to make win No. 1 even more unique, he had his whole crew out to watch him get the job done on Sunday.
On the other side of the globe another young star, Ludvig Aberg, began the final round of the BMW PGA Championship in England with a two-shot advantage. It felt like he was going to coast to what would have been his second-straight victory, but instead, he showed that he's an actual human and not a robot by struggling over the final 18 holes of play.
While Sunday didn't go as planned for Aberg, he and the other European Ryder Cup team members in the field had quite the week in England. To say the group is trending in the right direction less than two weeks from the Ryder Cup would be putting it mildly.
There is plenty to get to in the latest edition of Par Talk, so let us get after it.
Sahith Theegala Is A Winner On The PGA Tour
You'd be hard-pressed to find a single golf fan, whether it be a casual fan or a hardcore fan, that doesn't pull for Sahith Theegala. After everyone got a glimpse into his very 'regular' life on Netflix's 'Full Swing' and the viral videos of his parents being his No. 1 fans, it's practically impossible not to like the former Pepperdine star.
His style of play doesn't hurt the cause, either. He's a risk taker who can fill the scorecard up with circles in a hurry, and he smiles the whole time doing it.
Sahith Theegala was able to get the job done at the Fortinet Championship. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Before we get into his magical week at the Fortinet Championship, we have to go back to the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Theegala bogeyed the short Par 4 17th on Sunday and missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the last to earn a spot in a playoff with eventual winner Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay.
After signing his scorecard, Theegala went to hug his parents, and the waterworks were turned on. In that moment it was not only clear just how much the game means to him, but that he's a vulnerable person like the rest of us and isn't ashamed in the slightest to show that side of himself.
Just over 16 months after that gutwrenching moment in Phoenix, it all came full circle for the 25-year-old.
With the Fortinet Championship being a home-state event for Theegala in California, he had about 30 of his close friends and family rooting him on throughout the week. He began Sunday's final round with a two-shot advantage over the likes of Justin Thomas and company and his posse of supporters certainly helped will him to victory.
Theegala fired a final round 68 to win the championship by two shots over S.H. Kim. He was in total control of his game on Sunday, and it's safe to say he had the loudest support group on the golf course.
Ludvig Aberg Is Human After All
Ludvig Aberg turned professional in June after earning his PGA Tour card after wrapping up his season at Texas Tech atop the PGA Tour University rankings. Since turning pro, he finished 25th or better in four of his seven starts on Tour.
After missing out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs but still wanting to earn a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, he jumped over to the DP World Tour to make his case and finished T-4 in the Real Czech Masters only to follow that up with a win the very next week in the European Masters.
The Swede began Sunday's final round of the BMW PGA Championship with a two-shot advantage and it felt like win No. 2 was in order given he's been the hottest player on the planet, but golf is a fickle game.
Aberg stumbled out of the gates in surprising fashion carding two double bogeys on his opening seven holes allowing the pack of big-time names to take over the leaderboard. He ended up firing a four-over 76, but still finished in a tie for 10th.
Aberg's last three starts include a T-4, a win, and a T-10 in the DP World Tour's premiere event. Not bad for a guy who was playing college golf less than six months ago.
Justin Thomas Has Found A Pulse
The Justin Thomas haters are absolutely furious.
JT has undoubtedly had the worst season of his professional career which had plenty of folks deeming him unworthy of a captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. This week's Fortinet Championship was his first start since missing out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs as well as his first chance to at least quiet the volume of his critics, and he answered the call.
Thomas finished solo fifth for what was just his second Top 10 since February. While the result speaks for itself, it's the numbers behind his strong outing that should have JT fans optimistic heading into Rome later this month.
Thomas' ball striking is back as he finished sixth in strokes gained: approach and T-2 in greens in regulation for the week. The putter was warm as well, which couldn't be said many times since the calendar flipped to 2023, as he finished 18th in the field in strokes gained: putting.
Granted that this is just one four-day stretch on a gettable golf course, Thomas checked a lot of boxes that he hasn't been able to check at many points throughout the year.
Mentally we know Thomas will be ready to roll at the Ryder Cup as he has been a stone-cold killer in his previous two appearances with an overall record of 6-2-1. Captain Zach Johnson and the rest of the American squad are hoping he brings an A-game across the pond as the U.S. will be dependent on him to earn points just as they have each of the last two occasions.
European Ryder Cup Team Is Playing Some Serious Golf
As we already touched on Aberg being in red-hot form and picking up yet another Top 10 finish at the BMW PGA Championship, he wasn't the only European Ryder Cup'er to show form this week.
Tyrrell Hatton finished solo second, Jon Rahm finished fourth, Viktor Hovland finished fifth, Tommy Fleetwood sixth, and Rory McIlroy seventh. Oh, we also can't forget Sepp Straka finishing T-10 with Aberg along with Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry finishing in a tie for 18th.
For those not able to keep count, that's nine of 12 European Ryder Cup players finishing 18th or better in one single event.
Team Europe captain Luke Donald should be more than pleased with his players' form heading into Rome.
In case any American golf fans were convinced the U.S. was going to head to Italy and snap the 30-year Ryder Cup drought on foreign soil with ease, let this week be yet another example that it's going to be a tall, tall order no matter if the sportsbook still has the Americans tabbed as favorites.
Follow Mark Harris on X @ItIsMarkHarris