PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Canada’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju describes himself as a “really feel” golfer.
The PGA Tour rookie was actually feeling it within the Gamers Championship at TPC Sawgrass this weekend. He posted a 4-under 68 within the remaining spherical Sunday, giving him his first top-10 end on tour.
“It was a protracted week,” mentioned Yellamaraju, who completed with a 72-hole whole of 9-under 279, good for a tie for fifth place, 4 photographs behind winner Cameron Younger.
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“I am fairly proud of the way it went. Clearly, to type of grind to make the lower, after which I simply type of needed to play one of the best golf I may on the weekend. I believe I type of exceeded what I believed I may do.”
The 24-year-old actually has had probably the most unlikely paths into skilled golf. He was born in India and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, when he was 4. He picked up the sport as a 6-year-old, utilizing rental golf equipment with metal shafts that have been “too lengthy [with] these tiny heads.”
Yellamaraju received his personal set of golf equipment when he was 9. He carded a 101 in his first aggressive spherical, the final time he ever broke triple digits.
Yellamaraju and his father, Suresh, watched YouTube movies of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and different execs to discover ways to swing a membership.
“It was quite a lot of trial and error, so we needed to type of be taught and determine what labored for us,” Yellamaraju mentioned. “I really feel like for me, what I really feel is what I really feel. On the finish of the day, you have to go play golf and simply play what you may.”
At 16, Yellamaraju gained the Ontario Novice Open. He did not attend school and spent two years taking part in on the PGA Tour Canada circuit and two extra on the Korn Ferry Tour.
After choosing up his first professional victory within the 2025 Bahamas Nice Abaco Basic at The Abaco Membership, he completed nineteenth on the Korn Ferry Tour seasonlong factors checklist to earn one of many 20 PGA Tour playing cards that have been awarded.
Even now, Yellamaraju does not have a full-time swing coach. He depends on his caddie, Joel Kraft, and his father to file his swings. His father performs golf about annually however grew up competing in cricket and understands weight switch and different elements of swing mechanics.
“We watched movies of various gamers,” Yellamaraju mentioned. “We see what they do. He type of sees, ‘OK, if this particular person is doing this, and I am perhaps not doing it this fashion, and I am hitting this route or no matter, perhaps strive one thing else.'”
That strategy labored at TPC Sawgrass, the place he ranked fourth in strokes gained: placing (5.514), 14th in strategy (4.432) and was tied for second in driving distance (311.2 yards) when he completed his spherical.
After lacking the lower in his first PGA Tour begin on the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, Yellamaraju made the lower in 5 of his first six occasions this season, together with a tie for thirteenth within the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He’s ranked No. 216 on this planet however figures to climb mightily after his efficiency within the Gamers Championship. He won’t play this week after withdrawing Monday from the Valspar Championship.
“I do know I can compete and contend, and I’ve quite a lot of perception in myself, however that results-based confidence is one thing you may’t match,” Yellamaraju mentioned. “When you do one thing, you recognize you are able to do that or higher. Clearly, wherever I end, I do know I can do this, after which type of transfer up from there.”
