NEWTON SQUARE, PA. \u2014 For a guy playing his first major in his first year on the PGA Tour, Sudarshan Yellamaraju seems very much at ease. The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., was one of the last players to get into the year\u2019s PGA Championship and he\u2019s making the most of the opportunity.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, he was scoping out the front nine at Aronimink Golf Club, building his game plan for the Thursday start. He did the same with the back nine on Tuesday. It\u2019s pretty much what he does every week on the PGA Tour, trying his best to learn the intricacies of the layout.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool,\u201d he said, standing on the back of the 18th green. \u201cWhat I\u2019ve always wanted to do is play in the major championships, play the best tournaments, but I\u2019m just treating it like any other tournament. I\u2019m just going to go play golf, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yellamaraju has been one of the great golf stories of 2026, highlighted by his fifth-place finish at the Players Championship. His background story has been told and retold often because it\u2019s almost unbelievable. <\/p>\n
Born in India, moved to Winnipeg, then Mississauga, Ont. Started golfing with plastic clubs in a park, advanced to a real set and learned how to play by watching videos of Tiger Woods on YouTube. He rose quickly through the amateur program, winning the Ontario Amateur at 16. He spent some time on Golf Canada\u2019s national team. He turned professional at 19 and went quickly from the Americas Tour to the Korn Ferry Tour to, this year, the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n
So far, he\u2019s been more than a little impressive. He\u2019s missed just one cut in 13 starts and is the top Canadian on the FedEx Cup standings, sitting in 38th position. He is close to locking up his tour card for next season, which was his goal at the start of the year, and he\u2019s earned a cool $2,185,877. That doesn\u2019t include the funds coming from companies that have chosen to sponsor the young phenom.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also garnered a large section of Canadian golf fans, both at home and at tour stops, who have taken to the new star. A group of fans from the Montreal area was cheering him on during his practice round on Wednesday. He admitted that he is still getting used to being a sports celebrity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying to do my thing and if I\u2019m able to inspire people, that\u2019s great,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to play the best golf that I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
His play has also impressed his fellow Canadians on tour, who have watched his game up close. Last week, he played alongside Corey Conners for their final round at the Truist Championship, bettering Conners by two shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s awesome to see the success he\u2019s been having,\u201d said Conners. \u201cI really admire the way he goes about his business. He\u2019s got a fantastic game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other Canadian players have been equally impressed with Yellamaraju\u2019s talents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been fun to watch,\u201d said Nick Taylor. \u201cHe\u2019s obviously played well in some big tournaments. I think what\u2019s impressed me most is that he\u2019s got off to some rough starts and really battled back and made cuts and had good finishes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe bombs it,\u201d said Taylor Pendrith, \u201cHits his irons great and putts well, good short game…he\u2019s got it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yellamaraju has played a heavy load so far this season with this tournament marking his 14th start. It\u2019s also his fifth consecutive week on tour, a result of being a last-minute addition to the two-player team event at the Zurich Classic and getting into some of the tour\u2019s limited-field, big-money signature events. But it hasn\u2019t seemed to affect his game or his attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m feeling a little bit stressed or feeling a bit down,\u201d he said, \u201cI just think that I\u2019m out here, playing these tournaments, and it helps me feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Playing in a major is an achievement, especially for a rookie, but Yellamaraju says he\u2019s going to approach the week as he would any other. So far, he\u2019s shown a good capacity to focus on the task at hand and not worry about what\u2019s going on around him, other than to softly acknowledge applause for a good shot. That will be even more difficult at a major where the course is tougher and the crowds are larger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just going to try, depending on the pins and the wind, the same usual stuff as any other week,\u201d he said of his game plan. \u201cWe just go and figure it out on the day, and that\u2019s all we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Possibly the most impressive part about Yellamaraju\u2019s tremendous start on the highest level of golf, is that he has remained grounded and focused on his game. He hasn\u2019t let his success change him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just trying to be me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, that\u2019s paying off.<\/p>\n
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