Sahith Theegala Took Brutally ‘Painful’ Route After Freak Accident Almost Forced Him Out of Valhalla Field

Sahith Theegala is ready to do it all! Especially whatever it takes to win his first-ever major. Quite literally. Days before his appearance at the Valhalla Golf Club, the 26-year-old underwent a “freak injury.” That too at the most unexpected of times and places; he slipped a rib a week before the Wells Fargo Championship. “I was just sitting down; I just sat in the golf cart a little bit aggressively and just felt a little pinch,” said the pro about how he injured himself. This instance made him unsure of his appearance at the 106th PGA Championship. But as they say, where there is a will, there is a way.

Following the same logic, albeit painful, Theegala’s route to recovery was as unexpected as the injury itself. After getting “three really painful adjustments to get it back in place” and facing difficulty breathing, the California-born pro golfer got healed in a week, as he revealed in a post-round conference. The golfer “couldn’t really breathe or move all Saturday and Sunday.” He traveled on Monday, knowing he had healed himself in a week or two before with the help of some “aggressive rehab.” The golfer then said, “Honestly, by the time I got to Thursday, I felt pretty good. Not 100 percent, but probably 80 to 90 percent.”

Talking about the process, Theegala said, “It was just a matter of loosening up the rest of the body. The actual spot where the rib came out was fine. All the parts around it were really stiff. It was funny; the day I probably got healthy was Saturday, and it felt weird being fully healthy. I had my full range of motion and all that back, and I didn’t know where to hit the ball at that point.”

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Thankfully for all those rooting in his favor, Theegala is finally at a 100% healed stage and can perform his very best at Louisville, Kentucky, this weekend. He even added, “But I’m 100 percent right now. It was not a — it was just kind of a freak injury.” Furthermore, he knows which part of his back needs special attention and is ready to put efforts in the same direction. Considering he has never had lower back issues, Theegala is determined to alleviate the freak injury from his left side, situated high up right next to his shoulder blade, and from the looks of it, his improved performance is evidence he is in the right direction.

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The golfer proudly ended the first round at T2, with just 3 strokes less than Xander Schauffele. Interstingly, Sahith Theegala is not the only player who focused on improving their health for the PGA Championship. There are a couple of others in the field too who have rightfully endured the pain to come back stronger on the greens.

Who else other than Sahith Theegala is competing even after enduring injuries?Tiger Woods is one of the prime examples of a player who is ready to do all that it takes to add another major title to his record. Such is the glory of the majors. Despite facing injury after injury, like Woods, the luster of the prestige that comes with naming a major title is an adrenaline rush worth going miles for. He shared before this year’s Valhalla showdown, “I’m always going to feel soreness and stiffness in my back, but that’s okay. I just need other body parts to start feeling better.” The golfer has shown nothing but resilience and determination to compete on the greens, and his ANGC gameplay, despite wearing a pain relief patch, and now the PGA Championship are testament to it.

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Like Woods, the Swedish prodigy, Ludvig Aberg has also been facing troubles with his knees. So much so that he withdrew from the $20 million Wells Fargo Championship. He returned to Valhalla wearing confidence and a knee brace. In his hopes of winning his maiden major after losing it closely at the Masters to Scottie Scheffler and finishing as a runner-up, the star is not willing to slow down. “I’ve never had any issues before. I was at home making sure that I was going to be ready for this week and prepare myself the best way I could and then be ready to play here. Obviously, I’m still doing a lot of firsts when I’m playing these tournaments. Obviously, this week is my first PGA Championship and only my second major. I’m feeling all these things that first-timers do and it’s the same thing for me. So I try to focus on the golf,” said confident Aberg.

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It remains to be seen whether any of these resilient stars will be able to name the trophy to themselves or not. Meanwhile, stay tuned to EssentiallySports as the excitement unfolds at Valhalla to get all the latest updates!