We see Sahith Theegala steadily mounting his professional golf career. Behind his success lies a crucial factor: the unwavering support of his family. Without their guidance and encouragement, his journey to prominence might have taken a different course. He has been playing golf since 2017, turned pro in 2020, and got his PGA Tour card in 2022. The fruit of joy was bearded when he secured his first PGA Tour victory, which was the 2023 Fortinet Championship.

Feeling proud of his son, his father told reporters, “I’m so proud of him; this goes a long way for his career. Feeling confident that he could do it on his own, he doesn’t have to depend on others. I think this is why I was proud of him—that I knew he could do it.” The Indian American golfer responded with praise for his father; he said, ”My dad’s the reason I’m here today; he and my mom did such a good job of learning how to almost hybrid parent between this Indian culture and American culture and let me play sports.” Let’s delve into his sources of inspiration.

The journey of Muralidhar and Karuna

Sahith Reddy Theegala’s father, Muralidhar, hails from India and moved to the United States in 1987. Muralidhar Theegala landed in Kansas State to pursue his master’s in engineering. Despite his initial involvement in various sports during his time there, including ice hockey. He said, “I played every sport there, and ice hockey, for that matter.” Except golf.

In the course of his studies, Murli befriended Ahluwalia, with whom he later worked at the same company in Los Angeles, manufacturing components for cell phones and toy trains. It was during this time that Murli met Karuna, golfer’s mother, and they eventually tied the knot.

They both gave birth to their first son, Sahith, in Fullerton on December 4, 1997. Consequently, the family moved to settle in Chino Hills when the golfer was 2, which is a half-hour drive from Los Angeles. Karuna possesses a high level of skill and expertise in cooking. Her dedication to ensuring that everyone in their circle is well-fed and cared for underscores the importance of family and hospitality in their lives. Karuna is battling cancer. Her mother, Vijaya Laxmi, shifted to the States to help Karuna raise her children.

Things took a turn when one day Murli got a call from his old buddy, who at the time was playing golf, and asked Murli, ‘Hey, you want to come over?’ He then said, “I went one day, and I said, ‘This is a slick sport, you know?’ We made it a habit of going every Saturday morning at 5 o’clock.” And got hooked on the sport. 

How did Sahith Theegala’s father introduce him to golf?

“And guess who got more interested in golf than anybody else? That was Sahith,” said Ahluwalia. “He was 3. I remember clearly the first time we took Sahith on a golf course, a nine-hole course in Cerritos. That’s the first time we saw him playing.” While the golfer’s father commuted to the city for work, he developed a liking for watching sports other than golf. Murli loved watching sports on TV—the Lakers with Kobe Bryant and the PGA Tour with Tiger Woods. His son watched intently, too. 

By the age of 11, the Tour pro showed enough signs that even his coach, Rick Hunter, said, “He was a prodigy.” The golfer loved to work the ball; he won the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships three times. That’s enough reason to believe that. But his father wanted more than just applause. He wanted his presence felt at as many tournaments as he could attend. Even if it’s a birdie, Theegala’s parents did not mute themselves. “His group often gets the cheering,” Murli said.

When he competed at the 2024 Masters, the golfer paid an ode to this father and wrote, “Growing up, my dad’s love for golf inspired me to dream big. I’m ready to chase my dreams of winning the first major championship of the year. It’s GO time at the Masters! 🏌🏽🏆”

The golfer holds his father very highly. He shared a few traits about his father’s nature. Murali is a very fun-loving guy and makes everyone feel like his best friend. He is the kind of person who is not at all fake and is very real about things. The golfer also said that his dad is a very practical and straightforward person too who entertains no bullsh*t and is overall a very positive guy.  

Things were always not easy for the Theegala family

Murli once shared an incident with the New York Times. He shared that when he tried to enroll his son in a private golf club, he faced something unexpected. “Rather than saying, ‘Who are you?’ he just said, ‘You’re not supposed to here.’ He just assumed that because of the color of our skin,” said Murali.

Even Sahith Theegala revealed to the New York Times that he has faced severe racial discrimination. “In light of what’s going on, I’m proud of who I am and what I’m adding to the golf community in terms of diversity. Ultimately, we’re all trying to do the same thing in pro golf, and that makes for a successful career. Hopefully, there is some inspiration behind that for people who watch me and realize that you don’t have to be a stereotypical white golfer.” However, with the love of his family, he never felt demotivated and continued to pursue his dream.

Theegala’s college choice kept him close to home, attending Pepperdine University, where he thrived despite facing challenges like a wrist injury that sidelined him for a year. His college decision wasn’t solely based on academic or athletic considerations but also personal factors. He was able to stay close to his family, particularly his mother. The support of his family is overwhelming. During the Phoenix Open in March 2022, after a heartbreaking 1–1 short playoff, he received condolences from his parents and earned respect from fans.

No doubt, Sahith Theegala’s parents and friends are extremely proud of him. But the credit for his success surely goes to his father, who laid the foundation of this unlikely journey. He held his head high and kept believing in his beloved son, while Karuna became the backbone of their family.