SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 30, 2021

Sahith Theegala

Country Club of Jackson

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you assess your round out there today?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Really stress free. Probably the best way I can describe it. Just drove it really well. I was really working it well. I got my slider back, I was hitting a pretty good cut, probably 25 to 30 yard cut out there and this course kind of allows it because the trees around the tee box aren't that close to the tees, so I was just working my ball flight in there and just felt really comfortable all day. Being in the fairway helps so much.

Q. You said you were working on your driver, what was maybe the thing you were struggling with your driver?

SAHITH THEEGALA: The driver's always been what's kind of been my weakest part of my game and that's what took me kind of the next level in college was like getting a driver dialed in and started not hitting it out of play as much. But, yeah, I got a new driver after I missed the first cut at Korn Ferry finals, went to Ping, did a little bit of work there and they set me up with a new driver. It's a longer driver. I'm like, if I'm going to hit it off line, I might as well hit it a little bit further and funny enough I'm hitting it way straighter. So that helped a little bit, seeing something new. Still getting comfortable with the driver, only had it a month now. But yeah it's been really nice to see some of the work paying off and being in more fairways.

Q. Getting to the Korn Ferry Finals, how comfortable are you coming in these situations now, knowing you can get it done and kind of coming out here, you're still learning a lot out here, but you know you can do it in big situations?

SAHITH THEEGALA: It's been pretty cool in that I didn't feel, really feel like I had any expectations at all coming out of college, no Q-School kind of thing. Being in the Korn Ferry finals, we all know what we were playing for there, but it almost felt like it was a free roll for me, didn't feel like I had anything on my back, so I wasn't putting too much stress on myself and again I had a really good time and the golf happened to click and put together a couple good events. And it was nice, like after the first finals events, to kind of lock up the card for the next one. Played really well the next week and got a pretty good number, so that was important too. But, yeah, I don't think I've had a lot of time to think about all this stuff too, so it just feels like I'm kind of just on a roll and I'm not really thinking about big situations or stuff like that, just feels like I'm playing golf. So that's helped a little bit not having expectations, kind of just being on a free roll the whole time.

Q. How do you keep those expectations in check, not -- this just isn't just for going forward, but going forward and dealing with all the stuff that comes with being a PGA TOUR member, how do you take those expectations and keep playing the golf you're playing?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I think the main thing is that everyone that's gotten to this point they know their game is good enough to at least be out here and I think knowing that in the back of our mind, it sounds cliche, but just really have a good time out there. I mean most, I would like to think pretty much everyone loves the game and that's why they're playing it and they just happen to be really good at it, so that's kind of the mindset I'm going to keep having, just go out and have a good time. If the golf is there, fantastic. If it's not there, there's more to life and live to play another day kind of thing. So I think just making sure to keep that mindset, but at the same time having that self belief knowing that I do belong out here kind of thing.

Q. Last time out here you were playing on sponsor exemption. What's the biggest difference from your game from last year to playing this year?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, kind of tricky because I made such a big jump my senior year of college, so it was kind of like I almost had to adjust my own expectations to like -- it was just different, because I wasn't, I wasn't, I wouldn't say I was an elite player my first three years of college. I was good but then the senior year I really did great. And so like I was a little bit more nerve wracking for sure because I haven't been in that situation as much last year. But this is probably my fifth or sixth PGA TOUR event last year at this point, so I was a little bit -- I got used to it a little bit, but still it was a lot of nerves and playing a golf course for the first time is always a little bit nervous, I guess too. But I played well last year, which is the thing and missed the cut by one. It's just how fine of a line that golf is. But definitely being back here a second time, I don't feel like my game is that much different, I just feel like I'm making slow progress and that's what me and my coach have been working on, make a little bit of progress, even if it's just .01 percent, just feel like you're making progress. And I feel like I've been pretty good at sticking to a day-to-day routine instead of a longer-term routine. So I would like to he think I feel a little bit better than last year but it's not that much different.