Pro golf dreams come true for Yellamaraju

Sudarshan Yellamaraju fell in love with golf while growing up in Winnipeg.

Now, the 24-year-old has reached the biggest stage in his sport, earning his full PGA Tour card for next season.

“It’s a dream come true,” he told the Free Press on Thursday from Arizona. “I’ve always wanted to be able to compete against the best players in the world.”

Although his birth certificate says India and he’s officially listed as being from Mississauga, Ont., Yellamaraju also proudly considers himself a Winnipegger — right down to being a die-hard Jets fan.

His family immigrated to Canada when he was four, planting roots in Winnipeg that helped shape the young man he’s become. He vividly recalls taking his first swings at the Golf Dome on Wilkes Avenue and the thrill of getting a youth membership at Larters in St. Andrews.

“It’s where I learned to play,” he said.

His first competition happened in 2012 at Tuxedo Golf Course where, at the age of 11, he won the 12 & under division of the Junior Bantam Championship after back-to-back rounds of seven-over 77. Yellamaraju carries a reminder of that on his phone in the form of a cherished picture.

Yellamaraju admits he was a “restless” child who couldn’t sit still — until his parents started putting golf on TV. He became captivated by what he saw, especially Tiger Woods, then the world’s No. 1 player, who stood out to him in a sport dominated by white competitors.

It wasn’t long before he was gifted a set of left-handed Nike clubs modelled after his idol.

The family spent seven years in Winnipeg before moving to Ontario, where his father found a new job in the IT sector. Yellamaraju’s game blossomed in his teens, highlighted by a victory at the 2017 Ontario Amateur as a 16-year-old — the youngest player in the field.

Three years later, he turned pro, forgoing the traditional college route due to a lack of scholarship opportunities. He eventually earned his card on the PGA Tour Canada (now known as PGA Tour Americas). He returned to Winnipeg in 2022 to compete in the Manitoba Open and, by 2024, had graduated to the Korn Ferry Tour.

Last season, he earned US$97,550 and finished 99th overall, which meant only retaining conditional status. But this year, he truly broke through — winning his first event at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, adding a tie for third and a fourth-place finish, and earning US$366,201 overall. That performance secured his promotion to the PGA Tour.

“There have been so many Canadians go up there (to the PGA) and have success, especially in the last few years. It feels cool to be able to join them,” said Yellamaraju, who quite literally shows his pride by using a toonie as a ball marker.

It nearly didn’t happen. His season came down to the wire last Sunday at the final Korn Ferry Tour event of the year in Indiana.

Yellamaraju entered the tournament ranked 20th on the points list, with the top 20 earning PGA Tour cards. But an opening-round 73 put him on the wrong side of the line. Over the next four days, he bounced in and out of the top 20, right down to the final few holes. He ultimately finished the tournament at two-under, good for 19th overall.

“Ideally, I would have had my card wrapped up with maybe two or three events left. But that’s not how it goes sometimes. It went pretty much all the way down to the final shot,” he said.

“But that’s kind of how it’s gone for my career so far. Grind it out, and when the back is kind of against the wall, try to get things done. But, yeah, a couple bad shots, a couple mistakes, and nerves were kicking in. I still figure out a way. Obviously very, very happy.”

Getting that first win back in January provided a huge confidence boost that set the tone for the rest of the season.

“I always knew I could play well and win. But once you actually do it, it’s huge,” said Yellamaraju.

“The job’s kind of only started now. I have to go out there and play well so that I can stay out there and hopefully compete on the Tour for as long as possible.”

“I always knew I could play well and win. But once you actually do it, it’s huge”

Among his biggest supporters is Winnipegger Derek Ingram, who works with Yellamaraju as head coach of Golf Canada’s National Men’s Amateur and Young Pro Teams.

“Sudarshan has had a unique journey as it relates to getting to the PGA Tour,” said Ingram. “The most important thing is that he and his family never wavered from that plan and it’s turned out.”

Yellamaraju joins Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor — who was born in Winnipeg but moved to B.C. at age three — as full-time Canadian PGA Tour members. He’ll be the youngest of the group.

More Canadian content could be on the way. Adam Hadwin, Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman had their cards for 2025 but are still battling to retain them during the final fall stretch.

“(Yellamaraju) has got a very bright future in the game. He’s got a very high golf IQ and a game that’s more suited for success on the PGA Tour than the Korn Ferry tour,” said Ingram, who is a personal coach to both Conners and Pendrith.

“He hits it long and straight and is very consistent. And he’s easy to coach because he’s open to learning.”

Yellamaraju is expected to make his first start as a full-time PGA Tour member in January at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Until then, he hopes to play a few late fall or early winter events through qualifying or sponsor exemptions to stay sharp.

There will also be a bit of time for reflection on just how far he’s come — though his focus remains on what’s still ahead.

“Even just playing the Manitoba Open back in 2022 feels like a long time ago,” said Yellamaraju, who tied for fifth that year. He was back again in 2023, finished tied for 25th.

“My game has changed a lot since then and I’ve learned a lot, on and off the course. I’ve grown a lot, and I still have a lot to learn. I’m still so focused on where I want to go. But the journey so far has been pretty cool, for sure.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg