Sudarshan Yellamaraju is not a household name yet, but he has an interesting backstory about his golf journey.
That came into focus at the 2026 edition of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where he turned heads with a strong performance not many expected.
During the final round of the tournament on Sunday, the PGA Tour’s official X account shared how the 24-year-old Yellamaraju learned how to play golf.
The love for the game started early for Yellamaraju, whose family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, from India when he was just a preschooler. From there, he hit balls with his dad, Suresh, at a local golf dome and taught himself more about the game by watching YouTube videos.
Spending time online to improve his game ultimately paid off. He turned pro at 19 and secured a Korn Ferry Tour card in 2024. Two years later, he came just a few shots short of winning The Players Championship in his tournament debut.
Yellamaraju finished tied for fifth place after shooting 9-under 279. While that was not enough to come away with the title and a $4.5 million prize (won by Cameron Young), a top-five finish and a $925,000 payout are nothing to scoff at.
It was Yellamaraju’s first top-five finish on the PGA Tour, and he can expect to have more eyes on him in the coming 2026 Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla.
