It didn’t take long for Pepperdine men’s golf coach Michael Beard to realize he had something special in Sahith Theegala, maybe a few practices.
He remembers telling him as a freshman that he thought he could be an All-American.
“I knew he was really good,” remembers Beard, adding Theegala had traits you can’t teach. “Most of the things I did that freshman year was look for opportunities to encourage him and let him know how good he really was.”
Over the next five years, Theegala took the reigns of the Pepperdine program and showed the nation his talent. To those who follow college golf, it comes as no surprise Theegala has been named the 2020 winner of the Haskins Award, given annually to the player of the year in men’s college golf.
“Ever since I started college I had a goal to be one of the top college players when I was done with school,” Theegala told Golfweek.
More: How Theegala psyched-out competitors in his first college tournament
“I look at the guys that have won the Haskins Award. … all these guys are winners on Tour and legends of the game,” he continued. “I went through the list and literally recognized every one of them. The thought of being on a list with names like that means the world to me.”
Names like: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, David Duval, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay and Matthew Wolff. Ever heard of them?
The Haskins Award was supposed to come with an exemption to the 2020 Military Tribute at the Greenbrier before the event was removed from the PGA Tour schedule. The Haskins Commission is working to find a new exemption for Theegala.
The Chino Hills, California, native was one of three finalists this year, besting Georgia junior Davis Thompson and 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up, Vanderbilt senior John Augenstein.
He’s the 50th winner of the award, and Pepperdine’s first.
In a shortened redshirt senior year, Theegala earned two wins at the Alister Mackenzie Invitational in October and the Waves’ Southwestern Invitational in January. In eight events he logged six top-10s, finishing inside the top 20 in the other two tournaments. A 69.04 scoring average and 101 birdies (fourth in the country) helped Theegala finish his college career as a first-team All-American the No. 1 ranked player in both the Golfweek/Sagarin and Golfstat rankings.
Iron sharpens irons
Theegala and the Waves’ rising star, freshman William Mouw, are similar in the fact that they’re both a force to be reckoned with on the course. Like north and south, east and west, their respective demeanor and how they entered school couldn’t be more different.
“(Mouw) came in as a freshman and said ‘I’m the guy, and everyone’s going to know I’m the guy,’ he just had that way about him,” explained Beard. “Sahith did not have that way about him. He was just a normal guy with a funny looking swing and great short game.”
Mouw pushed Theegala a lot in the shortened 2019-20 season. The two led Pepperdine to three team wins and kept the Waves consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best teams.
Earlier this spring, after the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawaii (where Mouw won with Theegala’s putter), Theegala asked his coach if he was still going to be in the lineup’s No. 1 spot. Beard told him he was thinking of putting Mouw in the top spot, and his redshirt senior star agreed.
MORE: Theegala gets old putter back, immediately shoots 65
“He said ‘okay good, I want to be at No. 2. I want to have that edge,’” Beard said with a smile and chuckle. “I think Mouw made him elevate his game a little bit more.”
‘Cold-blooded killer’
When you talk to Theegala, he’s so genuine and personable it seems like an act. But it’s not, he’s that nice of a kid.
Until you get on the golf course.
On the first tee he’ll disarm you with a smile and handshake, followed by some nice pleasantries. And then he kicks your ass for 18 holes.
“He can be a sweet, kind, thoughtful person, and at the same time he’s a cold-blooded killer on the golf course,” said Beard, noting that despite the fact Theegala was the top-ranked player in the country, he never tried to prove it.
“He’s not out there to play to prove that he belongs, he already knows he does,” added Beard. “He knows who he is enough where his identity isn’t in how he performs. It’s been so neat to see how he’s come in and how he’s leaving (school), both in golf and how he is as a person.”
List of Haskins Award winners
2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine
2019 – Matthew Wolff, Oklahoma State
2018 – Norman Xiong, Oregon
2017 – Braden Thornberry, Ole Miss
2016 – Beau Hossler, Texas
2015 – Maverick McNealy, Stanford
2014 – Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
2013 – Michael Kim, California
2012 – Justin Thomas, Alabama
2011 – Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
2010 – Russell Henley, Georgia
2009 – Matt Hill, North Carolina State
2008 – Kevin Chappell, UCLA
2007 – Jamie Lovemark, USC
2006 – Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State
2005 – Ryan Moore, UNLV
2004 – Bill Haas, Wake Forest
2003 – Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State
2002 – Graeme McDowell, Alabama-Birmingham
2001 – Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech
2000 – Charles Howell III, Oklahoma State
1999 – Luke Donald, Northwestern
1998 – Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech
1997 – Brad Elder, Texas
1996 – Tiger Woods, Stanford
1995 – Stewart Cink, Georgia Tech
1994 – Justin Leonard, Texas
1993 – David Duval, Georgia Tech
1992 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1991 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1990 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1989 – Robert Gamez, Arizona
1988 – Bob Estes, Texas
1987 – Billy Mayfair, Arizona State
1986 – Scott Verplank, Oklahoma State
1985 – Sam Randolph, USC
1984 – John Inman, North Carolina
1983 – Brad Faxon, Furman
1982 – Willie Wood, Oklahoma State
1981 – Bob Tway, Oklahoma State
1980 – Bobby Clampett, BYU
1979 – Bobby Clampett, BYU
1978 – Lindy Miller, Oklahoma State
1977 – Scott Simpson, USC
1976 – Phil Hancock, Florida
1975 – Jay Haas, Wake Forest
1974 – Curtis Strange, Wake Forest
1973 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
1972 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
1971 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
