Rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju impresses with notable performance against strong competitors.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Sudarshan Yellamaraju from Canada characterizes himself as a “feel” golfer.
The PGA Tour newcomer certainly demonstrated that feeling during the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass this weekend, as Yellamaraju recorded a 4-under 68 in the final round on Sunday, which is likely to secure him his first top-10 finish on tour.
“It was a long week,” remarked Yellamaraju, who concluded with a 72-hole total of 9-under 279, placing him in a tie for sixth when he completed the 72nd hole.
“I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. Clearly, it was a grind to make the cut, and then I aimed to play the best golf I could over the weekend. I believe I surpassed my own expectations.”
The 24-year-old has certainly taken one of the most unexpected routes into professional golf. Born in India, he relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the age of 4. He began playing the game at 6, using rental clubs with steel shafts that were “too long [with] these tiny heads.”
Yellamaraju received his own set of clubs when he turned 9. He recorded a score of 101 in his first competitive round, which was the last time he ever exceeded triple digits.
Yellamaraju and his father, Suresh, viewed YouTube videos featuring Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, and other professionals to learn proper swing techniques.
“It involved a lot of trial and error, so we had to learn and determine what worked for us,” Yellamaraju explained. “I feel that what I sense is what I sense. Ultimately, you have to go out and play golf and just perform to the best of your ability.”
At 16, Yellamaraju triumphed in the Ontario Amateur Open. He did not pursue college and spent two years competing on the PGA Tour Canada circuit, followed by two additional years on the Korn Ferry Tour.
After achieving his first professional victory at the 2025 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, he finished 19th on the KFT season-long points list, earning one of the 20 PGA Tour cards available.
Even now, Yellamaraju does not have a full-time swing coach. He depends on his caddie, Joel Kraft, and his father to document his swings. His father plays golf approximately once a year but has a background in cricket, which gives him insight into weight transfer and other aspects of swing mechanics.
“We watched videos of various players,” Yellamaraju noted. “We observe what they do. He can identify, ‘OK, if this player is doing this, and I’m perhaps not doing it that way, and I’m hitting in this direction or whatever, maybe I should try something different.’
That strategy proved effective at TPC Sawgrass, where he ranked fourth in strokes gained: putting (5.514), 14th in approach (4.432), and was tied for second in driving distance (311.2 yards) upon completing his round.
After failing to make the cut in his initial PGA Tour appearance at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, Yellamaraju successfully made the cut in five of his first six events this season, including a tie for 13th in the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He is currently ranked No. 216 in the world but is expected to rise significantly following his performance in The Players.
“I know I can compete and contend, and I have a lot of confidence in myself, but that results-based confidence is something you can’t replicate,” Yellamaraju stated. “Once you achieve something, you realize you can do that or even better. Clearly, regardless of where I finish, I know I can reach that level and then progress from there.”
