“See you all soon,” Sahith Theegala signed off on his Instagram post back in June. His desire to play in the RBC Canadian Open remained unfulfilled as he made the hard decision to put his clubs away for a few days. Those days eventually turned into weeks, and then months. Once a potential Ryder Cup contender, Theegala saw himself fall in the ranks. Now, he is presently in Bermuda for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, and is opening up about his injuries.

“I missed quite a few events. I know I missed two majors and probably at least two or three Signature Events, so that was a bummer,” he recollected. “I rushed back a little bit at The Open just because I didn’t want to miss the third major of the year. I was healthy, but I just didn’t play any golf. I was just in the gym,” he told the media.

Theegala’s problems began in February during his preparation for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A seemingly manageable oblique strain soon caused him a months-long off period. He could do nothing about it, as there were no tears or anything major. He didn’t require surgery. All he needed was a six-to-twelve week recovery period, but the Tour has a hectic schedule.

So, he started to play through the pain. But that turned out to be more damaging. Theegala subconsciously adjusted his swing to avoid further harm. He hiked his left shoulder, pinching his neck. He added more side bend to take pressure off the oblique. If he thought it would work, he was wrong. His bad luck caused the changes to create a neck injury that proved far more debilitating. What he feared most ended up happening, anyway.

Sahith Theegala missed significant chunks of spring and early summer events. These included the PGA Championship and the US Open, respectively. For someone who had a great momentum the previous year, with a podium at RBC Heritage (2nd) and TOUR Championship (3rd), a zero top-10 finish, with just two top-25s, was no less than a haunted house. He did come back for events like the Open, but the results were eye-opening (he missed the cut).

“It was honestly my fault, so I learned from that,” he admitted to the press. “It was a bummer that I’ve been so healthy the last five, six years, and for my first one to be something that really affected the whole season was a bummer.”

All this probed him to learn his lesson, the harder way, nonetheless. The rehab process was extensive. He spent months away from golf, focused on rebuilding his foundational strength. His trainer, Josh, fixed him with a strict, no-nonsense program. There was no heavy powerlifting, but a simple, steady diet and workout.  By late summer, Theegala could feel himself getting back.

“I’d say I was a hundred percent in Napa was probably the first time,” he shared in the press conference. “So it’s been two months now. I felt great, just a lot of work with my team outside of the tournaments, which has been super fun, honestly.”

At the Napa Valley for the Procore Championship, Sahith Theegala registered a T38 result. These were followed by the Baycurrent Classic and Bank of Utah Championship, again resulting in a middle-of-the-pack result. Such results were, anyway, expected. What stands out more is how Theegala looks out for his next season.

“Feel like I’m kind of due for a fresh start next season, which is fun,” he says. Only, it might not be all fun for the 27-year-old.

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Will 2026 be a harder season for Sahith Theegala?

For any player, that answer could be subjective. Sahith Theegala has been a professional for the last 5 years. He earned his first PGA Tour victory in 2023 at the Fortinet Championship. Since then, it has been a winless drought. But his performance has not been underwhelming per se. Yet, the blotches he suffered this year due to the injury can further derail him.

“I’ve got to play my way into everything. The majors, the Signature Events, I’m not in anything, so I’m excited for that challenge,” he tells the presser.

And he is indeed right. Sahith Theegala will have to play his way into almost every event next year. With the PGA Tour’s limited 100-field now, down from 125 will be a challenge. Currently ranked 147th on the FedEx Cup ranking, Theegala is way beyond the qualifier mark. His next options might he a sponsor invitation to actually be a part of such events. Each Signature Event has four sponsor exemptions restricted to PGA Tour members.

“And that is his goal anyway. Kind of the goal is to get into those Signature Events and to stay healthy. I have a good blueprint. Yeah, I’m pumped for next year to start,” he concludes.