Sahith Theegala Starts Strong at RBC Heritage Despite Challenges

Sahith Theegala began his RBC Heritage campaign with a commendable 2-under 69, placing him tied for 27th. Despite a strong start, he faced challenges on the back nine. Fellow Indian golfers Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju struggled, finishing at 2-over and 3-over, respectively. Ludvig Aberg leads the tournament with an impressive 8-under 63. Other notable players like Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Justin Thomas also had varied performances. Read on for a detailed breakdown of the tournament's first round.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 17, 2026, 19:06 IST

Theegala's Opening Round Performance

Sahith Theegala kicked off his RBC Heritage campaign with a solid 2-under 69, placing him in a tie for 27th in the prestigious $20 million event. Although he trails the leader, Ludvig Aberg from Sweden, by six strokes, Theegala's round began impressively with three birdies in his first four holes and four in the initial seven.

In contrast, fellow Indian players Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju faced tougher beginnings. Bhatia finished with a 2-over 73, landing him in a tie for 65th, while Yellamaraju ended his round at 3-over 74, putting him in a tie for 70th, as reported in a press release.

Theegala's Roller-Coaster Round

Theegala's round featured a promising start with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes, but he stumbled with a bogey on the third. He quickly regained momentum with another birdie on the fourth and added more gains on the seventh and ninth, reaching 4-under at the turn.

However, the back nine proved to be more challenging, as he recorded bogeys on the 10th, 11th, and 18th holes, offsetting a single birdie on the 15th, ultimately finishing the day at 2-under.

Struggles for Bhatia and Yellamaraju

Bhatia's round included three bogeys and just one birdie, continuing a tough phase following The Players Championship, where he missed cuts at both the Hero Indian Open and The Masters.

Yellamaraju faced a difficult start with a triple bogey on his first hole. Although he managed to secure a birdie shortly after, a bogey on the 14th hole further hindered his progress, concluding his round at 3-over.

Aberg Leads the Tournament

At the top of the leaderboard, Ludvig Aberg maintained his strong form, aiming for his third PGA Tour title. He delivered an impressive bogey-free 8-under 63, securing a one-shot lead. Close competitors Harris English and Viktor Hovland both shot 7-under 64, trailing just behind.

Performance of Other Notable Players

Scottie Scheffler, who recently finished as a runner-up at The Masters, recorded a 3-under 68, placing him tied for 20th. Meanwhile, FedEx Cup leader Cameron Young started with an even-par 71, putting him in a tie for 54th.

Defending champion Justin Thomas had a challenging first round, finishing with a 5-over 76, which left him tied for 80th on the leaderboard.