For Sahith Theegala, this week at Riviera Country Club is not just about competing. It’s about standing with a community still healing from loss.

Speaking during the pre-tournament press conference at the Genesis Invitational, the 2020 Australian Master of the Amateurs winner reflected on the emotional toll of the incident, saying:

“I got a firsthand look into how much it affects, it’s way deeper than what you even see on media. It’s really devastating. It’s brutal."

The 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires were devastating. 31 people lost their lives as the fires burned 59 square miles of land over the entirety of January. With over 16,246 structures affected, $970 million was raised just in the month after the fire emerged.

And while it did not directly impact his residence, Sahith Theegala remained connected to the area through his roots.  He grew up in Chino Hills, a Los Angeles suburb, and attended Pepperdine University in Malibu.

“Yeah, it means a lot. Obviously, it hit really close. Luckily, me and my immediate family were all good, but had a lot of friends, and the closest one really was my caddie Carl; his sister lost her home, and she lived in Palisades.”

In response to the fires, Theegala pledged financial support for relief efforts through his performance on the PGA Tour.

Sahith Theegala pledged donations to support wildfire relief across Los Angeles

That personal connection was reflected in Theegala’s decision to support relief efforts through his play on the PGA Tour. 

Following the Eaton and Palisades fires in January 2025, he pledged financial contributions tied to his performance during the West Coast swing. 

A Southern California native and Pepperdine University alumnus, Theegala initially committed to donating $100 for every birdie and $250 for every eagle during the Sony Open in Hawaii, before extending the pledge to cover additional events.

The donations were directed to organizations including the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, and the Canine Rescue Club. The cause remained close to his team as well, after his caddie Carl Smith’s sister lost her home in the Palisades fire.

Now one year later, Theegala returned to Riviera Country Club to compete in the Genesis Invitational through the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption, where he spoke:

“Hopefully, we can come together this week and just bring together the community and hopefully raise a little bit of money, as well, for the ongoing project that it is to rebuild Palisades.”

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar