FedExCup update: Sahith Theegala projected to surge after opening-round 66

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Sahith Theegala came into the BMW Championship at 31st in the FedExCup, just outside the top 30 who will advance to the season-ending TOUR Championship.

It’s the kind of precarious position that can test a player’s ability to compartmentalize, but Theegala did just fine with a 4-under-par 66 in the first round at Olympia Fields Country Club, which left him tied with Matt Fitzpatrick and just one off the lead.

“Yeah, I think it's impossible to ignore,” said Theegala, who’s projected to move into the top 15. “I think everyone would be lying if they didn't know exactly where they stood and – not exactly but somewhat of an idea what it's going to take to get to next week.

“It's another thing where I'm just going to try and put my best foot forward and have as good a week as I can and have the best prep,” he continued. “If I'm in position back nine on Sunday, that's when I'm really, really looking. Maybe earlier.”

For the 25-year-old Theegala, what it’s going to take to get to next week is hitting fairways, something that has eluded him for much of this season. Still chasing his first PGA TOUR win, he has fought a two-way miss this year, and came into this week at a woeful 53 percent in driving accuracy.

He did much better Thursday, hitting nine of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation. Although he made only 42 feet of putts, he also didn’t need to putt at all at the par-4 14th hole, where his 9-iron from 167 yards found the cup for an eagle.

As he hinted with a T13 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week, his mini-slump – missed cuts at the Genesis Scottish Open, Open Championship and 3M Open – seems to be over.

“Yeah, interestingly enough, I made a ton of cuts in a row and then I missed three in a row, but those three cuts I missed in a row were the best I've driven it all year,” Theegala said. “I've really driven it pretty poorly until then, and I've continued that the last couple weeks. I've driven it really well, and the rest of my game kind of came back and started to click again.

“I'm just going to stay patient and keep that driver in play.”

Related: From LA to Houston, Theegala finds two families through golf

NOTABLES

This year’s Open champion Brian Harman (No. 9, projected to No. 2) got off to a great start in the season’s second Playoffs event, carding one bogey and six birdies for a 5-under 65 effort that has him tied at the top. As for his mindset this week, Harman said: “Staying present, hitting every shot the best I can, and not getting too wrapped up in where I am or what's going on.” … Entering the week first in the FedExCup standings, Jon Rahm (No. 1, projected to No. 4) opened with a respectable 2-under 68 and sits tied for 12th…. After making the turn in even par, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (No. 2, projected to No. 3) turned up the heat on the back nine with five birdies over six holes and finished knotted in a six-way tie for third with a 66…Recent winner at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Rickie Fowler (No. 12, projected to No. 9) is primed to make his first TOUR Championship appearance since 2019 after opening in 66. “Going into the year, one of my main goals was to be at East Lake,” Fowler said. “To be there you've accomplished a lot of good play throughout the year.” … Canada’s Corey Conners (No. 25, projected to No. 17) helped improve his standing heading into the TOUR Championship with a first-round 67 that put him inside the top 10 on the leaderboard. … Collin Morikawa (No. 22, projected to No. 15) also carded a 3-under 67, going bogey-free with one birdie on the front and two on the back. “Clean and boring golf,” he said of his round. “That's what we've been looking for. That's the kind of golf you want. I might have left a couple out there, but I'm not going to be complaining."

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BUBBLE WATCH

PROJECTED IN

Sahith Theegala (No. 31, projected to No. 16): The 25-year-old Theegala came into the week needing a minimum of a two-way T31 to move into the top 30 and advance to East Lake next week, and he got off on the right foot Thursday with 4-under 66. He started hot with birdies on the first two holes, but he gave one back with a bogey at No. 6. A birdie at 11 seemed the get the momentum rolling again, leading to the hole-out eagle at the par-4 14th. “It was relatively stress-free,” he said about his round. “I hit a ton of fairways, which again is the most important thing for me. Probably hit nine or 10 fairways, which is huge. Yeah, just kind of hit it in spots where I'm supposed to, except six, I hit it into the people right of the green. … It was a lot of good stuff out there.” Theegala in fact hit nine of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

Matt Fitzpatrick (No. 40, projected to No. 29): The 28-year-old Englishman arrived at Olympia Fields needing at least a solo eighth-place finish to crack the top 30, and his first-round 66 vaulted him well inside the TOUR Championship cutline. After playing the first six holes in 1-over par, he found his stride mid-round with six birdies over nine holes on Nos. 7-15. A bogey-par finish left him tied with Theegala at 4 under, one stroke off the lead. As to how he felt about his round, Fitzpatrick was clear: “Really, really, really, really, really, really pleased,” he said. “Yeah, just not played great as of late. It's obviously pretty obvious. But I feel like we turned a corner last Sunday really, and the last few days with my driving, and that's been the difference.” He hit nine of 14 fairways Thursday and 14 of 18 greens in regulation.

PROJECTED OUT

Emiliano Grillo (No. 23, projected to No. 31): This year’s Charles Schwab Challenge winner got off to a rocky start and was never quite able to right the ship Thursday at Olympia Fields. The two-time TOUR winner opened with bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3 and made the turn at 1 over. The 30-year-old Argentinian was hovering at 1 over until the last, when a wayward approach resulted in a double bogey at 18 and saw him sign for a 3-over 73. Grillo will need to put together some solid rounds in Chicago if he wants to make his second career appearance at East Lake – and first since 2016.

Sam Burns (No. 30, projected to No. 32): Another winner in the state of Texas this year, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play champion came into the week sitting right on the top-30 bubble. The 27-year-old Burns carded a 1-over 71 Thursday, but it could have been much worse: Opening in 38 after a double bogey-bogey-bogey finish to his front nine, a much cleaner back nine (two birdies, no bogeys) brought him back toward even par. Looking to make his third straight TOUR Championship appearance, Burns has slid slightly outside on the top-30 threshold and will look for a few good rounds this weekend to earn back his spot.

BUBBLE BOY

Sepp Straka (No. 24, projected to No. 30): The two-time TOUR winner put himself in the precarious position of “bubble boy” on Thursday following a 1-over 71. The lackluster round featured 16 pars, a double bogey at the par-4 ninth (where he failed to get up and down from the front right bunker and ultimately three-putted) and a lone birdie at No. 10. In 26 starts this season, the 30-year-old Austrian has made 18 cuts and posted seven top 10s including two runner-up finishes (Sanderson Farms Championship, The Open Championship) and a win at the John Deere Classic. Straka is aiming to make his second straight appearance at the TOUR Championship, where he finished T7 in 2022.

BIG MOVERS

Chris Kirk (No. 29, projected to No. 13): After back-to-back missed cuts at The Open and Wyndham Championship, the 38-year-old Kirk rebounded last week with a T16 finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He kept the momentum rolling in the first round at Olympia Fields, posting a 4-under 66 that featured three straight birdies at Nos. 15-17 to help him finish on a high note. “I'm very thankful, feel very blessed that I've had such a good year, and it's just been a blast,” he said. “I'm also very thankful to feel like I'm playing some pretty decent golf at the moment, too. I wouldn't say that our Playoffs are not quite like in other sports where guys feel like they can just step up their game when it matters most. Golf is a little more fickle than that, I think. I'm just thankful to be here and to have had a good solid day today.”

Cameron Young (No. 46, projected to No. 35): The 2021-22 Rookie of the Year came into the week needing at least a two-way tie for fifth to secure his spot at East Lake, and he took an excellent step in the right direction Thursday. His 3-under 67 has him inside the top 10 on the leaderboard (at T9) and just two shots off the lead. “I'm vaguely aware that I have to basically win this week to move on, and I don't have a ton of room to miss that,” he said Thursday. “It's got to be a pretty good finish. There's no pressure from either of those things (trying to make the TOUR Championship and U.S. Ryder Cup team). It's all from me. It's just the same things I feel every week, trying to prove to myself that I can do what I want to out here, and just trying to be as good as I can at the game of golf. That's why we show up every week.”

PGATOUR.com staffers Justin Lemminn and Lisa Antonucci contributed to this report.