Adam Stanley/ Canadian Press
Sudarshan Yellamaraju, of Mississauga, Ont., took a significant step towards his PGA Tour dream on Wednesday by profitable the second occasion of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, golf’s premier feeder circuit.
The 23-year-old gained The Bahamas Nice Abaco Traditional at The Abaco Membership by 5 photographs over runners-up Russell Knox and Kensei Hirata. Yellamaraju fired a final-round 64 — the bottom rating of the day — and shattered the match scoring document by seven photographs.
He turned the third Canadian to win the occasion, following Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., in 2018 and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., in 2023. Beginning the ultimate spherical with a one-shot lead, Yellamaraju pulled away to safe the most important win of his profession.
“It feels nice. It feels good that the onerous work and all of the hours I’ve put in, me and my dad and mom, has paid off,” Yellamaraju informed reporters within the Bahamas.
Yellamaraju was born in India and his household immigrated to Winnipeg when he was 4. He moved to the Larger Toronto Space when he was 11. Yellamaraju gained the Ontario Novice at 16 however didn’t go to school in the US, saying Wednesday he didn’t get sufficient cash by way of scholarships to make it work. He as an alternative turned professional instantly after ending highschool.
Yellamaraju, a part of Golf Canada’s Nationwide Group, is the second Canadian in three weeks to seize a males’s golf title after Nick Taylor gained the Sony Open in Hawaii, the second occasion of the 2025 PGA Tour season. Taylor took to social media to congratulate his countryman, whereas fellow Canadian Korn Ferry Tour professionals Matthew Anderson and Etienne Papineau had been greenside within the Bahamas for an enormous celebration.
Golf Canada males’s nationwide crew head coach Derek Ingram describes Yellamaraju’s recreation as “actually constant” from tee to inexperienced. Coupled with a stable quick recreation, a deep ardour for golf, and a “super work ethic,” Ingram believes Yellamaraju has the makings of one other Canadian PGA Tour star.
Yellamaraju performed on PGA Tour Americas in 2022 and 2023 earlier than incomes Korn Ferry Tour standing in 2024. He completed 99th within the season-long factors listing final 12 months.
He needed to return to the primary stage of the tour’s qualifying college within the fall after falling quick within the season-long factors race. Nevertheless, he battled his technique to the ultimate stage, the place he completed tied for thirty sixth. Putting inside the highest 40 earned him eight assured begins on the Korn Ferry Tour this 12 months.
It solely took him two to take full benefit.
“There’s stress, there’s strain, however I simply stored my head down, stored enjoying. One shot at a time. I needed to play good photographs,” Yellamaraju stated. “I wasn’t utterly calm clearly. As soon as I noticed the scoreboard and I noticed I had a five-shot lead heading into the final gap I knew I used to be high quality.”
Yellamaraju didn’t miss a inexperienced or fairway in his tidy final-round effort, going 5-under on his first 9 holes earlier than settling right into a groove and bringing the trophy residence.
“I simply needed to play good photographs. I simply needed to shoot as little as potential and I believe I did a reasonably good job,” Yellamaraju stated with fun.
With solely 20 PGA Tour playing cards on the road this 12 months — there have been 30 obtainable the final two seasons — Yellamaraju is aware of that each shot counts this 12 months greater than ever.
It’s been a non-traditional journey for Yellamaraju, who is basically self-taught. He realized the sport by watching YouTube and golf on TV, along with his father, Suresh, serving as his watchful second set of eyes.
Wednesday, Yellamaraju stated, was his father’s birthday.
“It’s uncommon to have a match, in January, the place we play a last spherical, on his birthday. It simply all fell into place,” Yellamaraju stated.
“I assume it was simply all meant to be.”
About Sudarshan Yellamaraju
Captures first profession Korn Ferry Tour victory in his twenty ninth begin on Tour
Fourth time the 54-hole chief/co-leader has gone on to win the Bahamas Nice Abaco Traditional at The Abaco Membership
Turns into the twentieth Canadian to win on the Korn Ferry Tour; third to win The Bahamas Nice Abaco Traditional at The Abaco Membership (Adam Svensson/2018; Ben Silverman/2023)
At 25-under 263, breaks the earlier 72-hole match scoring document of 270; shared by Jared Wolfe (2020), Brandon Harkins (2022) and Zecheng Dou (2022)
Strikes to No. 2 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Factors Record
Sixth winner beneath the age of 24 years outdated to win on the Korn Ferry Tour because the begin of the 2023 season
Secured assured begins within the first eight occasions of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season with a T36 end at Ultimate Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-Faculty introduced by Korn Ferry
As a rookie, completed No. 99 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Factors Record, logging 13 made cuts and one top-10 end (T7/NV5 Invitational) in 25 begins
Completed T14 at Ultimate Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-Faculty to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the primary time
Beforehand competed on PGA TOUR Canada (2022, 2023); the place he made 12 cuts in 18 complete begins with 4 top-10s
Turned skilled in 2021 and performs from Mississauga, Ontario
Born in Visakhapatnam, India
