SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 2, 2021

Sahith Theegala

Country Club of Jackson

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize that round today?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I really haven't had time to think about it, it's pretty wild. I started off playing really well, really solid, just missed a few makeable putts, but felt like my game was good. Then I started to hit some -- I got a few to go in at the start of the back nine -- and them I hit some wild drives, I mean way right, so was really happy to escape with a couple pars. It just felt like a grind those last five, six holes there. Obviously really happy with how I ground that out.

Q. Great reaction there on 15, did you think that chip was going in, that pitch was going in?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I can't wait to see the replay of that to see what happened because it literally looked like more than a 360. I didn't have the greatest vantage point, but it was literally going right at the stick, and I'm like, okay, that's in, with good speed. But yeah, I can't believe that lipout. That was like -- people saw that lipout of Spieth at the Ryder Cup, that might have been worse.

Q. Max Homa was saying that winning requires a little bit of luck, being in the right place at the right time. In your experience in collegiately and in junior golf and whatnot, what have you experienced with winning? Like do you typically win from the front or do you, I mean, how have you won in the past?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Well a hundred percent I agree with Max that certain things have to go your way for the week for you to be able to win. I don't think there's a whole lot of exceptions to that. But, yeah, like I said yesterday, I think it's really important that a lot of guys have learned to win at every level and I don't think it's that much different because we've made that progression since junior golf winning at the junior level, amateur level, college level, whatever it is. But, yeah, I haven't really thought about too much about if I was behind or ahead, I haven't really dwelled on that a whole lot, but obviously I'm in a really good position for tomorrow so I'm excited.

Q. What do you pride yourself on the most in terms of your victories, what was your best win?

SAHITH THEEGALA: That's also a tough one. I had a couple of my home events were really special to me. The one where I was able to honor Kobe a few days after he passed was really cool, I played some of my best golf ever that week and that was a pretty cool one. I had a really good one in Australia that I dwell on a lot which is really special to me because it showed me it gave me the confidence that I can travel and that my game can travel as well. I played really well over there, had a 4- or 5-shot victory in really tough conditions, so that was a really cool one to have under my belt. That was maybe four months before I graduated and that was one of my first like international victory ever so that was a big one too.

Q. Is there just, like you seem very comfortable out there, are there any nerves or no?

SAHITH THEEGALA: That's good. Definitely a little nerves in there for sure, but I think people have said before pressure's a privilege and I'm trying to use those nerves to my advantage. I'm just having a good time with Carl out there and regardless of the golf that's what it boils down to, golf's a game and try and enjoy it as much as I can.

Q. What's his last name?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Carl Smith.

Q. And how long have you guys been together?

SAHITH THEEGALA: This is our first week. Funny story, he recruited me at Pepperdine, he was the assistant coach at Pepperdine, he recruited me, watched so many of my events, and him and Michael Beard the head coach there were two of the biggest reasons why I wanted to go to Pepperdine. And he actually ended up leaving to caddie right before I got there, so it kind of worked full circle that he actually caddied for me in the Korn Ferry Finals, those two final events and got me to the TOUR, so it was pretty cool how that worked out.

Q. So he knows your game better than most?

SAHITH THEEGALA: He watched a lot of my game when I was younger. It's obviously changed a little bit from then but there's still some similarities for sure.