Sahith Teegala shot a bogey-free, 5-under-par 66 on Thursday at the 3M Open in Minnesota, putting him in a tie for fifth place after the first round of the tournament.
After missing the cut in each of his three previous starts, the PGA Tour winner had a strong start on the pristine TPC Twin Cities course.
Teegala made an early decision to play in the 3M Open this season and plans to use the tournament as a springboard for the playoffs.
When he turned professional in 2020, the tournament was one of the first to offer him a sponsor’s exemption.
“It’s a great combination,” Teegala said after Thursday’s round. “They’ve been really good to me and the tournament is well run, one of the best run tournaments, they treat you well, the golf course is beautiful, the grounds staff does a great job, all of those things are reasons why I come back here.”
His opening round score is the best he has ever had in the tournament. Teegala loves the tournament but didn’t always feel the course suited his game. The former Pepperdine University golfer struggled with tee shots for much of his career, but now he’s even more excited to play in the tournament.
“Before this year, I never really thought this golf course suited my game,” he said. “The tee shot is so important here. My game has improved a lot so it was good to come back. It was kind of a revenge week for me, I wanted to come back and see what I can do on a golf course that’s beaten me down pretty well the last three years.”
He ranks 12th in strokes gained off the tee (+1.589) and strokes gained around the green (+1.156).
Teegala is tied for sixth in total strokes gained at +4.424. He hit 9 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, a solid first round for the 26-year-old.
Teegala is seventh in the FedExCup standings. In 20 starts, he has two runner-up finishes, six top 10s and nine top 25s. With the playoffs in full swing this week, points aren’t important to him.
But this song helped him overcome something internally.
“This is the only week where I really don’t have to worry about the score. I want to beat the golf course,” Teegala said. “I don’t even look at the other players or the board. I don’t care what they hit. I want to feel like I challenged the course. Some players shy away from it, but I have no problem trying. I don’t mind failing, but I don’t want to lose to the course again.”
Sahith Teegala called the 3M Open his “revenge week” as he has struggled here in the past.
I came back for another shot and am doing well so far with a 5 under 67.
“I don’t care about the score, I just want to win on the golf course.” pic.twitter.com/fZHtZPl5qu
— Paul Hodwanic (@PaulHodwanic) July 25, 2024
Teegala seems on a mission, he won the first round, and the next step will likely be to go through the qualifiers and play all four days.
He will have a later tee time for Friday’s round, playing with Nick Dunlap and Keegan Bradley at 1:54 p.m. ET.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Her Instagram account is @golf_girl_sl.
