Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala remained firmly in contention at the Canadian Open after carding a 1-under 69 in the second round on Friday, 13 June, bringing his 36-hole total to 7-under 133 and a share of 13th place. Despite slipping from his overnight co-leading position, Theegala sits just three shots behind pace-setter Ben James with two rounds remaining at the Ontario venue.

How Theegala's Round Unfolded

Theegala started his second round on the front nine and looked primed for another low score, picking up birdies at the third and seventh holes. His ball-striking remained a strength through much of the day, but bogeys at the 10th and 15th holes disrupted his momentum and briefly pushed him down the standings. He steadied himself with a closing birdie at the 18th to sign for his 69 — a composed finish that kept him squarely among the weekend contenders.

The round followed an outstanding opening 64 on Thursday that had propelled the 27-year-old into a share of the first-round lead. Friday's conditions were less favourable for low scoring, and Theegala's ability to limit the damage underlined the resilience that has characterised his PGA Tour campaign.

Yellamaraju Advances with Confidence

Fellow golfer of Indian heritage Sudarshan Yellamaraju, representing Canada, posted one of the day's stronger rounds — a 4-under 66 — to climb to 5-under overall and a share of 28th place. Yellamaraju recovered from an early bogey at the third hole, responding with birdies at the first, fourth, and ninth on the outward half before adding further gains at the 15th and 18th. He comfortably secured his place in the weekend draw.

Rai and Sihota Miss the Cut

The weekend brought disappointment for Aaron Rai, the PGA Championship winner of Indian heritage, who narrowly missed the cut after an even-par 70 left him at 1-under for the week — one shot short of the required mark. Rai appeared set to advance after a birdie at the 16th, but a bogey at the 17th proved decisive. A closing birdie was not enough to extend his stay in Canada.

Indo-Canadian qualifier Jeevan Sihota also failed to progress, his second-round 72 leaving him at 3-over for the tournament.

Leaderboard at the Halfway Stage

PGA Tour rookie Ben James emerged as the surprise halfway leader after a flawless 7-under 63 — featuring an eagle and five birdies — moved him to 10-under overall. Five players, including Sam Burns and Haotong Li, were one shot behind on 9-under, setting up a tightly contested weekend. With the leaderboard closely packed and Theegala just three strokes off the pace, moving day on Saturday could reshape the standings significantly.

What to Watch This Weekend

Theegala's opening-round form — the 64 that put him in early control — demonstrates he has the game to go low at this venue. A repeat of that scoring, or anything close to it, on Saturday would likely thrust him back into the title conversation. This is the kind of position from which PGA Tour winners are made, and the Indian-American star will be eager to capitalise.