So when he and his caddy Carl Smith mapped out their strategy for St. Andrews, the comparison was inevitable.
"I've been kidding Carl all year.
Sanderson Farms Championship.
It's chess, not checkers,'" Theegala said with a laugh before this week's Sanderson Farms Championship. "We were in St. Andrews laying out the bunkers, 'It's chess, not checkers, Carl.
He cooled off in a final round 71 to finish three behind winner Sam Burns, but the golf world was put on notice.
Playing in the Korn Ferry Tour graduate category.
Theegala needed that top-10 in Mississippi to earn a spot in the week's Shriners Children's Open.
Under his top-30 finish at the 2022 FedExCup, he is fully exempt for the next two seasons on TOUR.
Theegala returns to the Country Club of Jackson as a TOUR member for the second year and with the second-best odds to win, behind only Burns. He recalls looking at his tournament odds early last season and seeing that he was "almost dead last out of all the fields."
Theegala said. "It's great to see that. It's great to know that (my odds) are up there.
There are very few moments in golf when you are pleased.
I am trying to push myself to accomplish things that maybe I didn't think possible a few years ago, but now I believe they are possible. A little bit of the constant drive to improve is almost an inherent, intangible love for the game.
"Nope. She's still going to hurt, no matter what. But it was such a particular week. It kept me going for the
He finished fifth in the Memorial Presented by Workday and was runner-up in the Travelers Championship, double-bogeying the 72nd hole at TPC River Highlands to spend two behind Xander Schauffele.
But the lanky, often-smiling Californian has continued to fight. He bounced back from an early 74 in the following week's John Deere Classic to finish in T16 and cut the Open en route to a T34.
He has added two more top-15 finishes to close out his first season on TOUR, and he comes to Mississippi fresh off a T6 in the 2022-23 Fortinet Championship.
Theegala didn't see much of last week's Presidents Cup, apart from a bit of Sunday Singles. He understands the noise that he was a popular candidate for the captain's election but didn't think he earned a spot on the team. That feeling of believing that he did not make his place - feeds him.
He will have more opportunities to represent the United States team. He'll take it easy.
I haven't played on a (national) junior golf team or in the Walker Cup, so I have a little grudge. I wasn't good enough to be on those teams, so I might try to be on one in the future.
I don't think I earned the place in the team at all, and I wasn't close to the points or anything like that, but it's something I'll use as motivation to keep going."
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