WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 12, 2022

Sahith Theegala

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. Can you take us through the round, like obviously this is a big moment, big stage and everything, what are your thoughts overall on the day, how you acquitted yourself out there.

SAHITH THEEGALA: What a day. So many ups and downs, I mean it was wild.

First of all Xander and Brooks were great to me. I think I really enjoyed playing with them and they were awesome to play with. They would say good shot and stuff like that. So I thought that was cool, they could just go do their own thing, but that was really cool.

So many ups and downs today. Obviously really bad start and proud of the way I fought back there. But still trying to take it all in. There's just is so much going on there too. Which is a good things I really enjoyed the fans out there.

Q. As far as emotionally draining where does that round compare?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Maybe one of my most. I'm really exhausted right now. Probably I hit it in the desert five times, I got my ball stepped on twice, got my ball picked up twice. Yeah. Very draining, for sure.

Q. How were you able to settle yourself after that rocky start?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I mean I got to give a lot of credit to my caddie, Carl. I mean, it was real easy for me to get down there and we had a discussion about a couple shots on 2 and he's just like, Hey dude, you're playing great, man, like just keep doing what you're doing and have a good attitude. Like my attitude I feel like has been really great this week and I just stuck to it.

That putt on 5, that par putt was definitely the turning moment for me.

Q. Where were you when the ball went in the hole on 16 and for Sam rider that the hole-in-one. Did you hear?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I didn't realize there was a hole-in-one. No, that's so cool though. That's awesome. No, I didn't realize. It was just so -- I feel like there was a murmur in my ears the whole time, I just assumed someone hit it close or holed a bunker shot or something on the hole, I didn't know. That's cool though. Good for Sam.

Q. Caddie Carl, is it with a C?

SAHITH THEEGALA: With a C.

Q. What's his last name?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Smith. Carl Smith IV.

Q. Playing with Xander and Brooks today, did you feel like you belonged?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I'm still not fully over the fact that I'm playing with these guys, right? Like I think that's going to be a learning process that I need to get better with, because this is probably the strongest field I've played in so far this year and I was definitely a little bit star struck.

Even on the first tee I'm like, Man, I'm playing with Xander and Brooks? Like, are you kidding me? Like what an opportunity though, just to see them up close and they're great dudes and, yeah, pretty crazy.

But definitely these last couple rounds and last couple days really gave me a lot of confidence to tell me that, hey, I do belong up here.

Q. Have you gotten any messages from the your coach at Pepperdine or anybody else just to say like, hey, you got this, you know?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Oh, yeah.

Q. It hasn't been that long since you won, you can do it at this level?

SAHITH THEEGALA: For sure. I mean, Coach Beard and Blaine and even my old assistant -- Carl was my OG assistant, but yeah, I've been getting so much support from the Pepperdine crew and I was happy I could rock the jersey there on 16.

Q. How have you managed to stay focused on golf the last day or two knowing how much this tournament is going to change your life?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I mean, I think I just am sticking to the process. I haven't even thought about the future at all. Just trying to enjoy this week as much as possible and I have one more day to do that tomorrow, so that's all I'm going to be worried about. Whatever happens tomorrow happens, right? Like I'm not going to be able to -- as long as I go through my process, have a good attitude, have a good time out there, let my golf game do what it does, you know. So haven't thought anything about what this could mean.

Q. I couldn't see you on 11 when you were in the desert, but I could hear the fans. Were you getting them riled up there?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, well that was a fiasco, that might have taken 10 minutes for me to hit the shot.

First of all, I didn't even realize I could go right of the trees until my caddie Carl told my I could go right of them. I'm like, Wow, I'm really far right. I was probably 60 right of the fairway.

And then to clear the fans took another five minutes and then fans still kept walking in front I'm like, all right, I mean, they don't know what's going on maybe.

But I was -- I wasn't trying to get them riled up, but my caddie was like, Hey, stick up your driver so we can estimate a yardage, right, to see.

So I pulled driver out of my bag and everyone starts going nuts and I'm just holding it up. And I think some people thought like I'm like acknowledging them, because I was like trying to move it around and stuff.

And that was fun though, those were really loud cheers and I was standing right next to all of them, but -- and then somehow my shot missed all the people, I think it was really close to hitting some people, like where it landed -- I don't even know where it landed actually, but I straight bladed it and I have to think it was close to some people. And the fact that the ball stayed up from the water, crazy hole. I guess I deserved a 5.

Q. Did you hear some of the chants of your last name on the back nine especially 16 and 17?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, yeah, I think it was cool to see that, even with all the fans out there, they're supporting me and throwing my name in there with Brooks and Xander. Definitely heard some clears.

Q. How do you feel you settled down after the shaky start?

SAHITH THEEGALA: What's that?

Q. What was the key to settling down after the shaky start?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Just an attitude check. I hit two great shots on 3 and got really unlucky there, landed a foot short of being landing on the green and trickling up, I think it would have been 15, 20 feet. And 3-putted there.

But put another good swing on 4.

And then the putt on 5 was huge for me. That 8-footer or whatever I had for par, if I had missed that and I'm 3-over through 5 and kind of chopping early. So that putt gave me a lot of momentum.

And I hit a great drive on 6 and that's kind of what settled me down there.

Q. Did you have any indications that this was going to be your week, like early in the week, like were you getting the good parking spaces or anything like that that things are going right for you?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I'm just happy to be here. I'm just happy to be in the tournament. I found out 13 days ago. So also putting that in the back of my mind that, hey, anything I do is a bonus and it's a free roll. I think I have already been pretty blessed.

Q. Any other family members show up now that it's the weekend?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Honestly, I couldn't even tell you. Probably. I saw another aunt out there, but it was hard to see them. Just engulfed in the sea of people.