Sudarshan Yellamaraju drew attention with a strong performance during the third round of the 2026 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday. The PGA Tour rookie handled the challenging course well as he climbed the leaderboard in his debut appearance at the tournament.

After a difficult start to his rookie season, the Canadian said better execution made the difference in his performance on Saturday.

"I didn't change anything," Yellamaraju said. "My mindset didn't change. I just executed shots a little better."

The second round presented a different challenge, as Yellamaraju had to battle near the cut line to reach the weekend. Like many rookies, he noted that consistently making cuts is an important step early in his PGA Tour career.

TPC Sawgrass demands precision from players, and Yellamaraju focused on controlling his shots throughout the third round while navigating the course’s tight fairways and challenging greens.

Yellamaraju had to rely on patience during his round to keep his focus. "I knew my good game had not come yet," he said. "I knew I had to stay patient."

Grinding for Every Shot

Competing at Sawgrass is a completely different kind of pressure compared to his recent trip to the Korn Ferry Tour. Yellamaraju finished just above the line to earn himself a PGA Tour card as the number 19 graduate last season.

He has spent a lot of his time this season battling it out on the edge of the cut line. "Obviously, it is not a position I want to be in, to be grinding for cuts," he said.

He also faced similar pressure at the Cognizant Classic earlier this season, where he managed a respectable finish after narrowly making the cut.

Similar to other events this season, Yellamaraju once again needed three birdies in the final five holes to make the cut. Moments like these have appeared during his rookie season, with late birdies helping him secure places in the weekend rounds.

After a third-round 66, Yellamaraju sits at 5-under par, tied for 19th and eight shots behind leader Ludvig Åberg heading into the final round at TPC Sawgrass, giving the rookie another opportunity to climb the leaderboard on Sunday.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav