Sahith Theegala’s surreal U.S. Open chip-in has fans, NBC broadcasters going nuts

Sahith Theegala. | Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Sahith Theegala hit one of the best shots of the championship, which elicted tremendous reactions from the broadcast and fans alike.

Sahith Theegala produced one of the best shots of the U.S. Open on Friday afternoon.

After airmailing the green on Pinehurst No. 2’s par-3 15th hole, where Rory McIlroy chipped in for par earlier in the day, Theegala found himself in a precarious position.

His ball came to rest next to the greenside bunker as a bogey or worse loomed. He needed to navigate a severe slope alongside the sand and be mindful of his pace, a massive challenge for any player.

Fans would have applauded any result within 10 feet, but Theegala did much better than that.

He chipped in! His shot even elicited a celebration from Dan Hicks, Brandel Chamblee, Brad Faxon, and Mike Tirico in the NBC Sports booth.

Theegala’s shot required creativity, precision, and imagination. It looked like he used a long iron, too, a club not often used when chipping around the greens.

But his chip-in proved much more important than providing some entertainment. It vaulted Theegala to 4-over, squarely into the mix and off the 36-hole cut-line. He will look to make the cut at a U.S. Open for a second consecutive year for the first time in his career, and it could very well be due to this chip-in.

Nevertheless, fans went wild over this incredible shot, too, while also giving him plenty of compliments:

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.