“She’s a straight baller” – Sahith Theegala excited to team up with ‘beast’ Rose Zhang for the Grant Thornton Invitational

Sahith Theegala recently said he was excited to pair up with upcoming LPGA star Rose Zhang for the Grant Thornton Invitational.

Theegala and Zhang will be one of the sixteen teams competing at the Grant Thornton Invitational, which will take place from Friday, December 8, to Sunday, December 10. The event was announced earlier this year by the PGA and LPGA as a new mixed-team event for the 2023 season.

The Pepperdine alum said he asked Zhang as a joke to team up even before she had turned professional.

He was quoted as saying via Sports Illustrated:

"She’s just such a beast. It’s so impressive how she shuts out all the noise and just plays her game. She goes about her business. She’s a straight baller. She seems like such a hard worker, too."

Zhang, who turned professional this year, secured her first title at the Mizuho Americas Open, which was also her debut as a professional. Since turning pro, she has achieved top-10 finishes in three out of the four major championships.

Apart from both being budding stars in golf, Theegala and Zhang share a few more similarities. Not only did they spend their early years in Southern California, but they also used to train at the same gym, FitMotionLab.

"We’re both from SoCal and have worked with the same trainer for six years or so now. She’s actually worked with him longer than I have," Theegala revealed.

Besides Theegala and Zhang, there are several big names on both the PGA and LPGA Tours who will be in action at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. So far, four teams have confirmed their participation in the event.

Tony Finau and Nelly Korda, Rickie Fowler and Jessica Korda, and Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson are the other three confirmed teams set to compete at the mixed-team event in December.

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How has Sahith Theegala performed in the 2022–23 season?

While Zhang has had an impressive first season, the 25-year-old golfer has also had a good year. He missed just four cuts in the 2022–23 season. He went on to achieve seven top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the RSM Classic. He also made it to the FedEx Cup playoffs and finished the season 31st in the FedEx Cup standings.

Here are Theegala's performances in the 2022–23 season:

• Fortinet Championship: T6
• Sanderson Farms Championship: CUT
• ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: T5
• THE CJ CUP in South Carolina: T67
• Cadence Bank Houston Open: T22
• The RSM Classic: T2
• QBE Shootout: T1
• Sentry Tournament of Champions: 33
• The American Express: T54
• Farmers Insurance Open: T4
• WM Phoenix Open: T39
• The Genesis Invitational: T6
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: T14
• THE PLAYERS Championship: 74
• World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T31
• Masters Tournament: 9
• RBC Heritage: T5
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: T23
• Wells Fargo Championship: T56
• PGA Championship: T40
• The Memorial Tournament: T58
• RBC Canadian Open: T38
• U.S. Open: T27
• Travelers Championship: T52
• Genesis Scottish Open: CUT
• The Open Championship: CUT
• 3M Open: CUT
• FedEx St. Jude Championship: T13
• BMW Championship: T15