The crazy superstition that had Sahith Theegala playing two 8-irons at Tour Championship

As far as golf superstitions go, few are crazier than this one from Sahith Theegala.

Smylie Kaufman told the story from this year’s Tour Championship recently on his radio show, “The Smylie Show.” Kaufman was following Theegala on the first hole during the third round at East Lake when Theegala hit a fairway-bunker shot. Kaufman asked what club Theegala hit, and Theegala responded: “I hit a 7-iron, but it says an 8.”

As Kaufman tells it, Theegala explained: “Last couple weeks, I’ve been really struggling with my 7-iron. I’ve been mis-hitting it, fatting it, so I showed up to East Lake this week and said, please, manufacturers, just don’t put 7 on it, just put 8-iron on the top.”

Kaufman: “I had to go look in his golf bag, and of course, what do I see? I see two 8-irons in his golf bag.”

The strategy paid off, too, as Theegala finished third.