Winnipeg was in the spotlight this past weekend on the links as one of the city’s own made a roaring push at the PGA’s Players Championship. Sudarshan Yellamaraju finished tied for fifth place, shooting nine under. His four-day performance was capped off with him hitting a 66 in round three and a 68 on the fourth and final day. The top five finish netted him $925,000 and a valuable 275 FedEx Cup points, making him the highest-ranked Canadian on tour. “Certainly, it goes to show that someone who started playing golf here has the opportunity to move on to the world stage, the best of the best,” said Jared Ladobruk, the executive director of Golf Manitoba. Yellamaraju is originally from India but moved to Winnipeg with his family at a young age. Winnipeg is where he learned to play, watching YouTube videos and refining his skills at the Golf Dome. “It’s a very unique pathway,” said Ladobruk. “What it says is that there are multiple ways to get to the highest levels and he has certainly proven that, earning his PGA Tour card last October and then, obviously, finishing top 10 at the Players Championship. It’s pretty neat to see how he’s carved his pathway out and has found some real success with it.” Ladobruk said he is excited to see what is next for Yellamaraju this year, believing this most recent performance has the ability to power him to another level. “For him to do what he did under that type of pressure, it’s remarkable. It goes to show that he’s got a very solid game,” he said. “Confidence breeds more confidence, and I’m sure he’s going to draw on that as he continues to play and continues to build on his very young career.” Even though Yellamaraju is young at just 24 years old, Ladobruk said his story and his performance could be used to inspire the next generation of golfing Manitobans. He said as long as the work is put in, anyone has the chance of making it to the highest level. “It shows that it’s possible. Anything is possible regardless of the path that’s in front of you. “For those young people that are looking for inspiration or a role model or an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, it can be done here.’ That’s a very positive thing for sure.”
