Sahith Theegala Battles Back After Triple Bogey To Make Cut At PGA Championship 2026

Sahith Theegala stayed in contention at the 2026 PGA Championship despite a triple bogey. Theegala finished two rounds at one-over-par at Aronimink Golf Club. A second-round 73 in harsh weather dropped Theegala to tied 30th. Theegala still made the cut with room to spare.

Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley led at four-under-par 136 after 36 holes. Theegala sat five shots behind the co-leaders at halfway. Theegala opened with a 68 and began inside the top 10. The leaderboard stayed tight as wind and cold hit scoring.

Theegala’s trouble came on the par-4 10th during the second round. Theegala had made two birdies and one bogey from the sixth. Theegala then played from a greenside bunker and went long. The ball vanished in thick vegetation after appearing to hit a branch.

Officials, volunteers, players, and TV crews searched for the ball. The search ended when time ran out after three minutes. Theegala received a lost-ball penalty. The hole became a triple-bogey seven and changed the round. Theegala steadied play late to limit further damage.

Theegala signed for a three-over 73 and stayed one-over overall. Theegala shared 30th place with several big names. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka also sat in that group. Theegala remained three strokes behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Theegala played the weekend rounds as the cut was made.

Four players of Indian origin played in the field at Aronimink. Only Theegala and Aaron Rai survived the cut. Rai shot 70 and 69 to reach one-under-par 139. Rai stood tied 16th at halfway. Rai’s accuracy held up better than many players in difficult conditions.

Rai made nine birdies across the first two rounds. That total put Rai among the tournament leaders in birdies. Rai also avoided major errors and kept momentum. The steady card raised hopes of a top-10 finish. Rai’s two-glove routine remained a notable feature during play.

Akshay Bhatia missed the cut by one shot after a difficult second round. Bhatia struggled off the tee in Friday’s wind. Several drives found Aronimink’s thick rough, especially on the back nine. Bhatia posted a four-over 74 and finished five-over-par 145. The season build-up ended abruptly.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju also failed to progress in a first major appearance. Yellamaraju shot 75 and 75 across the first two rounds. The total left Yellamaraju well outside the cut line. The week still offered experience against a strong field. Conditions made scoring demanding for many newcomers.

Leaders and stars face tough conditions at PGA Championship

McNealy and Smalley handled swirling winds and colder temperatures best. The weather caused sharp swings across the leaderboard during the day. Hideki Matsuyama briefly held the clubhouse lead with a three-under 67. Matsuyama was later passed as scoring changed in the afternoon. Several players struggled to control approach shots.

Scheffler started the round poorly with bogeys on three of four holes. Scheffler then recovered to post a one-over 71. That score left Scheffler two shots behind the leaders. McIlroy also produced a strong turnaround after a first-round 74. McIlroy shot a three-under 67 and reached one-over overall.

Several well-known names missed the cut in the difficult setup. Bryson DeChambeau finished seven-over-par and went home early. Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark, Keegan Bradley, and Viktor Hovland also failed to advance. Theegala entered the third round paired with Bud Cauley. Other pairings included McIlroy with Koepka, Rickie Fowler with Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa with Matti Schmid.