TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2022

Sahith Theegala

TPC River Highlands

Quick Quotes

Q. Just talk us through the whole 18th hole if you could, please.

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, so just a perfect tee ball for me. Just a high cut over the tree. I hit that a thousand times this year. It's kind of my -- whenever there's a tree in the way there, like I hit a mid-height bleeder. So I've been hitting that high fade really well all year.

Just the way this course is, it allows me to really hit these low balls which I really like out here to kind of keep it in the fairway. So I guess I just haven't hit that high fade that much. But we talked about it yesterday because I missed the drive way right yesterday and I'm like, no, I got to trust it, it's my bread and butter. I put a great swing on it, hit it right in the center. Just didn't cut. Maybe it was adrenaline, squared the face a little sooner than normal. Just didn't cut.

And then I knew I hit it really well and I knew it was going to be close to the lip, but not that close. But, yeah, like I said, we were just trying to figure out what the best way to make 4 was and try and force Xander to make birdie there.

I knew exactly where we stood. Never in a million years did I think I would allow myself to blade it. All I had to do was chunk it. We even said, like, this is a 50/50 ball in terms of I got to try and just basically hit it just a hair behind it. Somehow my body just, I just straight bladed it. I had room there. I don't know how it looked, but I had room there. Just didn't think I would let myself blade it. But I guess the moment was -- and then from there it's, like, got to try and make 5 now. Had a little more room. And I did the same thought process. I nearly bladed it again.

Yeah, I guess I'll look and see how it actually looked on TV. But from there I hit a pretty good wedge shot there. I thought I spun it a little more, but it came in a little lower than I wanted. Hit a perfect putt. Somehow it just broke left at the end and lipped out there. So, yeah.

Q. I know this is still fresh, but when you look back at 18, you look back at the 71 other holes you played this week and take the positives out of that.

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I played so much good golf this week. A lot of my bogeys and doubles were just really like weird mistakes. It wasn't even like -- like I laid the sod with a 7-iron off a tee on 8 the first day like center of the lake. Then I chunked consecutive chips on 15. Chunked a chip on 2 the first day. Just like bread and butter. Made bogeys and double.

But after that I played really, really well. I really didn't make much. I had a lot of looks the last few days and put a ton of good rolls on it, just couldn't get some of the putts that I felt like would have really kept the momentum going to fall.

But, yeah, just I'll have more time to reflect obviously, but there's going to be a ton of positives for sure.

Q. You said that never really got this far in your dreams winning a PGA TOUR event. But now you seem to have a little more belief. Is that how you think that this is, it's not an if it's a when?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah. I mean obviously I know and all the guys out here know how hard it is to win and how few opportunities there are to win. That's why something like this is really, really going to hurt. It's really going to hurt.

But just going to grow from it. I'm playing so -- I feel like I'm playing really well and if I just keep doing the same, keep loving the game. I love the process. I've never loved it more than I have now.

So, yeah, I'm just I'm really excited to see if I can do it again, keep putting myself in these positions.

Q. What will you do differently in terms of not, the golf part of it, but the mental mindset next time?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I guess just to say on that, nothing is guaranteed. Walking up 18 I turned to Carl and we're like, We can't take Sunday late for granted. This is what we dream of and play for. But yeah, sorry, repeat the last part of that question.

Q. What will you do differently when you're in this position again?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Nothing. I did everything I thought I had to do and it just happened to be everything bad culminated on one hole. I did so much good. I didn't really even have to scramble much today. I don't think there's anything I'm going to be doing differently. Just going to keep sticking to my process and loving every moment of it and, yeah, just keep it going from there.

Q. Are you still in shock over what has happened even though it's been 20 minutes? Shock or disbelief or any of those words?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I don't know what -- yeah. I don't know what you want -- do you want me to say no to that? Yes, I am. Thank you.

Q. The fans were really behind you today. Even after you were walking up 18 and even when you came out of scoring still saying things like, we love you. So what does that mean to you? Does that serve as any consolation?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, a little bit. It was awesome. I had such great support all week. And everywhere I go I feel like I'm making new fas. It's so awesome to me that they feel like I'm someone they can root for. I think I said that before. I think that's so cool. If I'm inspiring people along the way, that's so awesome. I can't say enough about how much the fans meant to me this week especially. They were awesome. The crowds were incredible out here the last few events, RBC and Memorial, this event, the crowds have been incredible.

Q. They were pulling for you.

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah.