Sahith Segala has coped with this week’s weather better than anyone, taking the 36-hole leader’s spot at the WM Phoenix Open.
Scottsdale is full of unforgettable memories, but this year brought new adversity: lashings of cold rain, puddles on the greens, and frigid air that will make your hands go numb.
Despite the various factors challenging him, Segala felt he played the best golf he had ever played.
“The first day was just a straight endurance test, and we tried to avoid any explosion holes in these conditions,” Segala said.
“One of the best rounds I’ve played on tour,” he continued.
He shot a 65 in the first round and then 64 after that. Segala is at 13 under, holding a one-stroke lead over Nick Taylor and Andrew Norbach.it’s his lowest 36 holes Best score since joining the PGA Tour.
The former Pepperdine golfer found himself in a familiar position at TPC Scottsdale. Segala led after the second and third rounds of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open.
That year, he played on a sponsor exemption and was in the final group with Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. Because of that performance, the Scottsdale crowd and the golf world began to take notice of him.
When they came down, I heard the Coliseum crowd chanting his name on the 16th hole and it looked like he might win his first PGA Tour event. But disaster struck on the drivable par-4 17th, when Segala drove into the water and ripped his victory from his grasp.
Segala shot a final round 70 to tie for third place, with Scheffler defeating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff.
It seems that he is now using his heartbreak as fuel to complete his unfinished business.
“It gave me a little bit of a boost, a little bit of motivation…and the fans here are obviously not feeling well, but on that back nine I felt the support all day again,” he said.
Since that moment, Theegala has come a long way. He is ranked 22nd in the world and won his first event on the PGA Tour at the 2023 Fortinet Championship. The Texas native has three runner-up finishes, one third place, nine top-five finishes and 14 top-10 finishes.
Despite these accomplishments, fans still remember him sobbing in his mother’s arms after stumbling in Phoenix two years ago.
“It was just like the culmination of everything, but it was the first time I really was in the heat of the moment and felt like I had let everyone else down, including myself. “It was,” he said. “I think that’s why it was such an emotional reaction. Words didn’t even come out. I’m an emotional person, but I don’t normally cry that ugly.”
Now, he has a chance to redeem himself in Scottsdale and create another memorable moment.
Thirty-six holes stand in the way of him finally becoming the People’s Open champion. If the feel of the first two days of play is any indication, it could be a good weekend for him.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
