For most golfers, missing out on playing the major championships would be soul-destroying.
Playing in the four biggest events of the year is what most young golfers dream of, and players fight tooth and nail all over the world to qualify. But unfortunately for Sahith Theegala, he hasn’t yet qualified for any of the major championships in 2026.
An injury-riddled season last year forced him to withdraw from several high-profile events, including the PGA Championship and the US Open. Because of his poor results and missed time in 2025, he has failed to meet the standard qualification criteria for the majors thus far.
He’s now ranked 125th in the Official World Golf rankings and will be forced to fight for his future on the PGA Tour this season. But instead of getting down on himself, Theegala said he has a new lease of life.
Why Sahith Theegala is happy about not qualifying for the majors
Theegala started his comeback tour at the Sony Open, and after a difficult opening day, he showed heart to shoot a 66 on Friday and make the cut. He since declared that he’ll be playing the Cognizant Classic for the first time this year, and is excited about the opportunity.
He said, “Actually, it’s one of the few tournaments on tour I’ve never played. I like to play a lot of golf, and yeah, this year it’s a little bit of a different circumstance. I’m not in any of the elevateds or the majors either.
“Definitely need to play everything that I’m in. I love it. I love it. I feel like it’s not too different from my normal schedule. Just with the flow of things, I’m not in Pebble or Riv right now, so if I don’t get into those, play my way in, I’ll have a couple weeks off, so I figured it’s great to start back up in the Florida Swing.
Rank these PGA Tour events from BEST to WORST…
Tough decisions! 🤔
- Pebble Beach Pro-Am
- Arnold Palmer Invitational
- The Players Championship
- Memorial Tournament
“Again, I’m not in Bay Hill. I’m actually not in The Players, either. So got to get every point that I can get. I feel like I’m a rookie on tour again, and it’s kind of a good reset in a way.
“I’m excited to tackle PGA National. I only hear the stories and see the scores and watched it growing up. I know it’s a very difficult course. I’m excited to play it, honestly. Really excited.”
It’s a phenomenal attitude, and hopefully, he can find some joy in playing golf in 2026 and keep his card. Theegala said it’s just nice to be healthy going into the Sony Open, and if he can play a consistent schedule, he certainly has the talent to keep his card.
How Sahith Theegala can still qualify for the majors in 2026
He might not be playing in the majors as it stands this season, but there are a number of ways that Theegala can still make it to the biggest events.
The most direct way would be to win a PGA Tour event, and he’s got plenty of opportunities to do exactly that. A win before April 5, 2026, would get him into Augusta National for The Masters, and a win before May 10 would secure him a spot at the PGA Championship.
Another way would be to climb the OWGR quickly. A few top fives and top 10s could see him jump back to the Top 50 players in the world and secure automatic qualification, but he needs to do that quickly. For example, to qualify for The Masters, he needs to be in the top 50 by March 30.
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For the US Open and The Open Championship, Theegala can qualify through various qualification paths. He can take on the 36-hole Final Qualifying for the US Open in early June. As a high-ranking pro, he would skip the local rounds and go straight to the final.
And for The Open, certain PGA Tour events, like the Arnold Palmer Invitational or Memorial, often serve as Qualifying Series events, where the top few players not already exempt earn a spot.
Those are just a few of the several ways Theegala can still make the majors, so not all is lost yet for the former PGA Tour winner.
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