Who are Sahith Theegala’s parents? All you need to know about Muralidhar and Karuna Theegala

American professional golfer Sahith Theegala is having a great time at the 2023 BMW Championship. He is currently placed T3 on the leaderboard after the first round. He shot a 4 under 66, carding an eagle, three birdies, and a bogey to be just one shot behind the leaders Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman.

But, it might be surprising to learn that Theegala's parents were originally from India. His father Muralidhar Theegala shifted to America to pursue his graduation sometime around 1987. He met another Indian immigrant, Karuna, who went on to become his wife.

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Everything to know about Sahith Theegala's parents and his childhood

After moving to the United States, Muralidhar married Karuna. On December 4, 1997, they gave birth to their first child, Sahith Theegala. They also have another child named Sagan Theegala. The family has spent most of their lives in California.

Muralidhar travels to India once every two years. His wife, Karuna, is currently battling cancer. Karuna's mother Vijaya Laxmi shifted to the United States to help her daughter raise her children. Since 2001, Vijaya stays at least six months with her daughter's family.

Sahith Theegala used to love watching Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers with his father when he was merely two years old. However, his father made him pursue golf after he saw three-year-old Sahith having potential in the game.

The current World No. 36 had immense support from both his parents and other family members while pursuing his golf dream. His father, Muralidhar Theegala, particularly pushed him for playing golf. He even tried getting Sahith enrolled in private school but eventually got turned down due to his skin color.

According to Muralidhar, once his attempts to enrol his son in a private golf club failed due to their Indian race. While speaking to The New York Times, he said:

"Rather than saying, 'Who are you?' he just said, 'You're not supposed to here.' He just assumed that because of the color of our skin."

Even Sahith Theegala, in an interview with the New York Times, revealed that he has faced severe racial discrimination. However, with his family by his side, Sahith never felt demotivated and went on to pursue his golf dream.

"In light of what's going on, I'm proud of who I am and what I'm adding to the golf community in terms of diversity," he said. "Ultimately, we're all trying to do the same thing in pro golf and that makes a successful career. Hopefully, there is some inspiration behind that, for people who watch me and realize that you don't have to be a stereotypical white golfer."

Sahith Theegala earned his PGA Tour card in 2022 but has been playing on the circuit since 2017. He had made 55 cuts out of the 72 starts, in which he finished as runner-up twice, one time in third place and seven times in the top 10. He has accumulated a total of $8,653,666 on-course earnings, as of now.