The trio of Indian origin led the extraordinary charge | Golf News

Southport: The Majors are the most important yardstick to measure a player’s career, and the 154th Open faces new challenges at Royal Birkdale on the Merseyside shores here. As the golf course prepares to crown another champion, an unprecedented international golf story begins to unfold.Two months ago Aaron Rai attracted global attention with a Major win at the PGA Championship. Just a few weeks ago, Rai was joined by Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia, and the trio made headlines by securing a top-20 finish at the US Open, making the transition to a Next-Gen of golfers, whose roots go back to India. That the fearsome trio will be able to take the iconic Claret Jug, is no longer an infuriating thought.Bhatia, 24, is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour while Theegala, 28, has won once but has been in contention several times, including a third-place finish at the 2024 Tour Championship. Rai worked in the pro ranks – from the Challenge Tour where he won three times to earn a promotion to the DP World Tour battlefield, and then the PGA Tour through the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour finals. He won on the PGA Tour in 2024 and in 2026 he became the first Englishman to win the PGA since 1919.Hero-backed Theegala is amazing when it comes to creativity and he has a great short game. He showed his resilience at the US Open, fighting back from early adversity to finish T-11th with Rai. While Theegala’s aggressive style off the tee could be dangerous at Birkdale, he could be a Top-10 contender if he stays out of the narrow fairway hazards.Rounding out the Indianorigin trio is southpaw Bhatia, winner of the 2026 Palmer Invitational. His performance with Rory McIlroy at the US Open showed his attitude under intense pressure.