Pepperdine's Highsmith, Theegala top Sahalee leaderboard
7/1/2019 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for Sahalee Players Championship, Sahalee Country Club
The Wave teammates are 1-2 after an opening 36-hole day in Sammamish, Wash.
Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash., fired rounds of 70-68 on an opening 36-hole day to reach 6-under and the solo lead. His senior teammate Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills, Calif., is right behind him at 4 under (72-68).
Theegala spent the past 10 months recovering from a wrist injury that resulted in surgery. Before last month at the Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, Pa., Theegala hadn’t teed it up in a tournament since the 2018 U.S. Amateur. Still, Theegala finished 12th at that event. The Sahalee should produce plenty of good vibes – Theegala won this event in 2017.
As for Highsmith, the Sahalee comes on the heels of two top-25 finishes on the East Coast. Highsmith was in the final group at the Sunnehanna, but slipped to eighth place. He finished 23rd at the Northeast Amateur two weeks later.
All of these Pepperdine headlines could bode well for the Waves come September. Theegala, healthy again and with a year of eligibility remaining, will be back on the roster. The next generation looks good, too. Three days ago, incoming freshman William Mouw won the California Amateur in Monterey.
Behind the Pepperdine duo at Sahalee, Canadian Chris Crisologo played his way to 3 under with steady rounds of 70-71. Oregon native Riley Elmes is fourth at even par.
Another Pepperdine player, Joshua McCarthy, is 3 under and part of a three-way tie for ninth.
Defending champion Cole Madey, who plays for UCLA, opened 72-77 and at 5 over, is tied for 18th.
Results: Sahalee Players Championship
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakewood, WA | 1000 | 70-68-69-74=281 | |
| 2 | Chino Hills, CA | 700 | 72-68-69-74=283 | |
| 3 | , Canada | 500 | 70-71-76-72=289 | |
| T4 | Chandler, AZ | 500 | 75-73-69-73=290 | |
| T4 | Vancouver, WA | 500 | 74-73-70-73=290 |
About the Sahalee Players Championship
Inaugurated in 1992, the Sahalee Players Championship (SPC) was a major summer amateur event until 2019 when it was discontinued. In 2023, it was converted into a college event hosting the top men's teams in the country. Team (best four scores out of...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original