Why PGA Tour Star’s Partner Moans at Not Flying Home on a Private Jet After £6m Event Win
Sahith Theegala is in the doghouse despite finishing third in the Tour Championship.
Sahith Theegala might have secured himself a lucrative payday at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but he wasn’t prepared to treat his partner with the winnings. The 26-year-old finished third behind event winner Scottie Scheffler and Colin Morakawa, his final total of -24, leaving him six shots off the top but five clear of Russell Henley, Adam Scott, and Xander Scahuffele, who all tied for fourth.
The result signified one of the best displays of Theegala’s career, despite the star calling a two shot penalty on himself during Saturday’s third round.
Admirably, Theegala notified a referee that he moved some sand on his backswing in a fairway bunker on the par-4 third hole.
But he still ended up with a cheque worth more than £5.7million in the PGA Tour’s richest event. Despite that though, he wasn’t about to upgrade the economy flight seats for him and Juju Julianna on the way home.
Juju took to social media to underline her displeasure, revealing her partner was “being financially responsible or whatever.” But she clearly wasn’t keen on his cautious approach to spending, posting a TikTok video to show how a lack of room was causing discomfort.
“When my boyfriend wins $7.5million in FedEx Cup and we don’t fly private home,” she said. “My shoulder is dislocated literally, really badly, and I’m in pain all the time. See this arm, this is far as I can reach it and the same with this side over here.”
It appeared that Juju, a regular supporter of Theegala at tour events, was joking about her injuries given her right arm wasn’t in any kind of sling. But she was however, understanding over his show of honest on Saturday, which arguably cost him a further £3.8m given he ended up just two shots off runner up Morikawa.
Indeed, Theegala himself expressed no regrets over the incident, saying: “So I am glad I brought it up right away. I know the rules of golf a little bit better now. There is a lot of silly stuff you can do in the bunker.
“You can chuck a club in the bunker, you can use your golf club as a stand in the bunker. As long as it’s not right next to your ball. There’s a lot of things you can do. But unfortunately if it’s in the area affecting the lie and the swing of your shot, regardless of intent, it’s a two-shot penalty.”
Theegala is now ranked a career high No.11 in the world, with his sole PGA Tour win coming at the Fortinet Championship last September. That came in the same year he produced his best ever showing in a major, taking ninth place in the US Masters.
He was also tied for 12th in the US PGA this season. The American now appears in serious contention for a place in the Ryder Cup in 2025, with the event taking place in Bethpage next September.