Sahith Theegala and “Playing to Play”
I’ve been wanting to write about professional golfer Sahith Theegala for a while now. In just his second year on tour, he’s reached world no.23. For most rookies, the goal is simply to keep your tour card. That alone can be challenging enough when you start playing against the very best in the world and adjusting to a demanding schedule of near constant travel. Not for Sahith. In his first year on tour he not only kept his card but nearly won the Waste Management Phoenix Open and earned enough FedExCup points to qualify for the Tour Championship. Fast forward to this season and he’s already had seven top 10 results including his first appearance at the Masters. Needless to say, this guy is really good at golf.
I’ll stop here because this post is not about nerding out over Sahith’s record. The thing I want to talk about is the mindset he’s taken to his game.
Recently, Sahith was interviewed on the Fore Play podcast where he spoke about the point he’s made to channel himself in areas outside of golf. In high school, he loved video games. While he was hurt in his college, he took stock of how many great people he had in his life and what it meant to spend time with them. More recently, he’s found a new obsession in playing online chess.
It made me think about music producer Rick Rubin’s writing on the creative process. In his book, “The Creative Act: A Way of Being,” Rubin says this on overcoming doubt in the process of making things:
“If you start from the position that there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, and creativity is just free play with no rules, it’s easier to submerge yourself joyfully in the process of making things.
We’re not playing to win, we’re playing to play. And ultimately, playing is fun. Perfectionism gets in the way of fun.”
Make no mistake, Sahith hates losing. He’s a formidable competitor. The man wants to win. But he also brings a pure love of the game and enjoyment of the journey that seems to propel him forward.
His approach was on full display at the 2023 Masters. I’m not sure I saw a player more excited to be there or having more fun with it (see his incredible chip shot on hole 16). In his final post round interview, Sahith said he hadn’t been thinking about what place he would finish. He said he just wanted to put his best foot forward going into the week. He also reminded the crowd that he’s not just a player but a true fan of the game. When asked if he was going to watch the rest of the round on TV he said this: “I love that we finished so early. I have two hours of Masters coverage to watch.”
The best part? Sahith finished 9th in his very first appearance while more experienced pros like Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy missed the cut. I’ll acknowledge that Sahith doesn’t have all the pressure that comes from a near lifetime as a top player on tour. Still, I think there’s something to learn from the space he makes for life off the course and for maintaining an attitude that allows him to experience golf with the discipline of a player and the joy of a fan.
I’ll leave you with these questions for reflection: What’s possible when we find joy in the process of making things? What happens when we “play to play?”
