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Sahith Theegala Struggles at The Open While Aaron Rai Advances

Sahith Theegala faced challenges in his return to the Majors at The Open Championship, likely missing the cut after scores of 75-74. In contrast, Aaron Rai advanced to the final rounds with a solid performance, finishing the first day at 2-under. The article highlights the performances of both Indian-American golfers and the competitive landscape of the tournament, including notable co-leaders and their scores. Discover how these players fared in the challenging conditions of Portrush and what it means for their careers moving forward.
By Narendra Chaudhary | Jul 19, 2025, 03:38 IST
Sahith Theegala Struggles at The Open While Aaron Rai Advances

The Open Championship Highlights

After missing the previous two tournaments, Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala's return to the Majors was cut short at Portrush, while fellow competitor Aaron Rai (69-72) secured his spot for the final rounds of the 153rd Open.


Theegala finished with scores of 75-74, making it highly likely that he will miss the cut.


Indo-British Rai, who briefly held a share of the lead at 4-under during the first round, concluded the day at 2-under, placing him in a tie for 10th. However, he slipped to an over-par 72 in the second round.


With a total of 1-under for 36 holes, Rai was provisionally positioned at T-20, ensuring he would make the cut.


Another Indian-American, Akshay Bhatia, who previously finished third at the Players Championship and fourth at the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods, shot a 2-over 73 and was hovering around the cut line at T-68, yet to start his second round.


Theegala, currently ranked No. 46 in the world, returned to The Open after missing the US PGA and US Open due to a neck injury, facing challenging conditions.


Rai, who had only made one cut in his initial Major appearances, has now successfully made seven consecutive cuts, including all four in 2025.


Rai played alongside Theegala and Bhatia at the Tour Championship in 2024, finishing T-27 at the Masters, T-19 at the PGA Championship, and T-33 at the US Open.


In the first round, Rai recorded four birdies in his first eight holes but faced three consecutive bogeys from the ninth to the eleventh, followed by a birdie on the twelfth.


He concluded the round with six pars, finishing at 2-under 69.


During the second round, Rai managed two birdies on the twelfth and fifteenth holes but also had bogeys on the sixth, seventh, and fourteenth, resulting in a score of 72.


Bhatia's opening round of 73 featured two birdies on the fifth and seventh holes, alongside three bogeys on the third, fourth, and thirteenth holes.


Playing his first event since late May at the Memorial, Theegala expressed happiness to return, though his lack of recent play was evident as he recorded only two birdies against four bogeys and a double bogey in a round that concluded late.


In his second round, he improved slightly with two birdies and five bogeys, finishing with a score of 3-over 74, totaling 7-over.


Li Haotong made history as the first Chinese player to share the lead at The Open after the first round, joining four others at the top.


The co-leaders included Haotong, Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, American Harris English, South African Christian Bezuidenhout, and 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, all shooting 67.


Only 31 players finished under par after day one, compared to 41 in 2019 at Portrush, with Li Haotong and Justin Rose (69) being the only players to complete bogey-free rounds.


A win by any of the co-leaders would mark the twelfth consecutive first-time winner of The Open Championship.


Jacob Skov Olesen, the 2024 British Amateur champion, has had two prior PGA Tour starts, including the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon (T60) and the 2025 ISCO Championship (MC), and he held his first lead after any round on Tour.


Fitzpatrick achieved his best opening-round score in his tenth appearance at The Open Championship, surpassing his previous best of 69 from 2017.


World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was tied for sixth after carding an opening-round 68, aiming to become the second player to win both the PGA Championship and The Open Championship in the same season, following Xander Schauffele's achievement in 2024.


He is the only player to finish in the top 10 in the first three majors of the 2025 season: 4th at the Masters Tournament, 1st at the PGA Championship, and T-7 at the U.S. Open.


2025 Masters champion and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy shot a 1-under 70, totaling -20.


Schauffele, looking to be the first player to defend his title at The Open since Padraig Harrington in 2008, posted an even-par 71 and was tied for 32nd after the first round.


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