Sahith Theegala has been having a difficult season on the PGA Tour. The Pepperdine University grad has played in 14 events so far and has made the cut in all but one event. However, he has struggled a lot during weekends, failing to capitalize on strong play from Thursday and Friday. Of the 13 made cuts, Theegala had only finished in the top 25 two times, finding himself far away from the expectations. One person who has been accompanying her almost every week to the tournaments is her beloved girlfriend, Juju Chan, all while documenting her journey and sharing it on TikTok and Instagram.

Chan and Theegala enjoy a fun relationship. Remember when Juju made fun of her golfer boyfriend for shaving and literally looking like a younger self of himself? She had even put up a story with the note that said, “Sahith clean shaved last week so he literally looks the same as this pic rn.” She had a picture of him from his younger days in the story as well.

Now, what is happening is that the brunt of the criticism seems to be falling on her. For those who do not know, Chan is Theegala’s girlfriend of nearly eight years. The duo met at Pepperdine University, where Juju was part of the university swimming team. One could argue that her active and public profile, therefore, made her an easy target for trolls after Theegala’s disappointing performances on the PGA Tour this season. But Chan, being the strong person she is, did not let the trolls have their way.

Chan put up an Instagram reel with a note that said, “When people say my boyfriend is playing badly because of me.”  She is seen applying lipstick, sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, as if unbothered by the relentless trolls who are looking for anything or anyone to blame. She also added the caption, “Why are you guys so obsessed with me?” referring to the users who were blaming her unnecessarily for her boyfriend’s performances. The reel was a very clear and loud message to the golfing world that trolls are not to be taken lightly by any means.

The golfing world did not stay silent as the post was well-received. They sent in messages of support through the comment box. Even a few of the wives of PGA Tour players expressed their love for Chan and sent out a strong warning to the unnecessary trolls behind her.

The golf world shows support for Juju Chan

Harry Hall’s wife, Jordan Hall, was quick to express her support in the comments section. She commented, “It’s never our fault,“ which meant that she also must have had some prior experience in receiving blame for her husband’s shortcomings on the golf course.

Another person, Theegala’s girlfriend, is close with is Matt Fitzpatrick’s wife, Katherine Fitzpatrick. The duo occasionally comments supportively underneath each other’s posts. This time it was no different. The 2022 US Open winner’s wife answered the rhetorical question Chan asked in her caption with a comment that said, “They should be obsessed with you.”

Outside of the internal community, several golfing fans also expressed support. One user commented, “Keep being you. Don’t listen to outside noise,” while another user offered words of optimism, “He will play better …it happens. You are the best thing in his life. The golf will come.” Another user also expressed their disbelief that the internet would attack Julianna Chan, stating, “How could anyone blame Juju???”

Sahith turned professional just five years ago. Since then, he has won one PGA Tour title, the 2023 Fortinet Championship. Julianna Chan was by his side during his two-stroke victory over Kim Seong-Hyeon. He has also represented Team USA in the 2024 Presidents Cup, helping them claim the title at Montreal. So, he just needs to keep his head down and continue working.

The positive comments that came in are a testament to the close-knit, supportive fraternity that forms the base for the sport of golf. More power to you, Julianna Chan!