Getty
Silhouetted golfer on the tee during the 127th British Open Golf at Royal Birkdale GC in Southport 16th-19th July 1998. (Photo by David Ashdown/Getty Images)
Getty
Silhouetted golfer on the tee during the 127th British Open Golf at Royal Birkdale GC in Southport 16th-19th July 1998. (Photo by David Ashdown/Getty Images)
You’d think handling the pressure of a final round on the PGA Tour would prepare you for anything life throws your way. Well.. not really. Sometimes, the most nerve-wracking moments happen far away from the competition. Sahith Theegala just proved that point at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship pre-tournament press conference, talking about his surprise proposal.
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The 27-year-old PGA Tour pro recently proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Julianna “Juju” Chan, in Kauai, Hawaii. And he didn’t hold back about the stress it brought. “Man, I’m glad it’s over,” Theegala confessed with visible relief. “I was just super excited. I’m not a planner. She literally plans everything in our relationship, where we eat, flights, and booking stuff. Literally does everything outside of golf in our relationship. So for me to plan this was a lot of work and a lot of stress.”
The role reversal was real. Juju handles all the logistics in their eight-year relationship. So when Theegala decided to orchestrate this surprise, he stepped completely out of his comfort zone. The planning became a month-long secret operation. Thankfully, Juju’s sister and father became his accomplices. But keeping a secret from someone who knows you inside out? That’s the real challenge, and the couple’s schedule made things even trickier.
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Theegala played in Japan at the Zozo Championship. Then he had to get Juju to Hawaii without raising suspicion. His strategy was clever—he pitched the Hawaii stop as convenient geography between tournaments. She bought it. But Theegala added another layer of mystery. He didn’t tell her which Hawaiian island they were visiting until they connected through Honolulu.
“I made sure not to receive the emails when we booked our flights, and when we tagged our bags in Japan, I was like, we’re going to Hawaii, but I’m not going to tell you what island.”
The entire Japan leg became an anxiety marathon. Theegala traveled with the engagement ring every single day. The paranoia was constant. The actual proposal setting only amplified his fears. He chose a dramatic clifftop overlooking the ocean in Kauai.
“I’m glad I didn’t drop the ring in the ocean. I proposed on a cliffside. All I could think about was, oh, my God, going to drop this ring in the ocean and never find it again,” he said.
The admission caught everyone off guard. Here’s a guy who can handle tournament pressure with a smile. Yet planning a surprise proposal nearly broke him. The event itself went off perfectly. Both families attended—except Theegala’s parents, who were in India and joined via FaceTime. The clifftop moment was captured in stunning photographs that later flooded Instagram.
Juju posted the images with a simple caption: “love of my life!!! 💍!!!”
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The golf community immediately celebrated the moment. Min Woo Lee congratulated them. Amanda Balionis shared her excitement. Nelly Korda liked the announcement. The posts received thousands of reactions from fans and fellow athletes.
Despite struggling with form and injuries throughout 2025, Theegala remains a beloved figure in professional golf. His world ranking dropped from 11th to 67th after an oblique injury during a TGL match. He posted zero top-10 finishes in 18 starts. But this moment transcended golf. The couple met at Pepperdine University in 2017, where he played golf and she swam competitively.
Golf’s recent wave of romantic celebrations
Theegala’s engagement highlights a significant shift in how professional golfers share their personal lives. The trend reflects the transformation of tour culture by social media. Players now document life’s biggest moments with the same attention they give tournament victories.
The format has become almost standardized. Scenic locations serve as backdrops. Professional photographers capture the moments. Instagram posts follow within hours. Then thousands of reactions pour in from fans and fellow competitors.
Justin Thomas proposed to Jillian Wisniewski in November 2021 after a trip to Nashville. He announced the engagement publicly on the “No Laying Up” podcast. They married a year later in Tennessee, with the golf community celebrating alongside them. Collin Morikawa proposed to Katherine Zhu in November 2021. They got engaged and married about a year later, in November 2022. Max Homa married Lacey Croom in November 2019 after dating since 2013.
Women’s golf has embraced this trend equally. Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho, and Andrea Lee have all shared engagement announcements in recent years. The celebrations cross competitive boundaries. Rivals congratulate each other. Tour organizations amplify the posts. Everyone participates in the joy.
These announcements humanize professional athletes. Fans connect with players’ personal journeys beyond competition. For Theegala, the public celebration marked a bright spot in an otherwise challenging season.
“Honestly, it went well,” Theegala reflected. “I don’t know if she for sure knew or not. I think she had an idea, but she acted like she didn’t, so I appreciate that a lot as well.”
The relief in his voice was unmistakable. But he did it. The ring stayed safe. The secret held. And Juju said yes.
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal