JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 2, 2022

Sahith Theegala

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. ...through eight holes yesterday, looking you're going to miss the cut. Been on a tear since. What kind of flipped there for you on 18?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, just I was really playing some sloppy golf the first 26 holes, like you said. Just nothing was really clicking.

But me and Carl were talking about it. I've been playing so well, there is no reason any moment that could change, right?

I hilt two great shots on 18 and put a great roll on it, and from there I never looked back kind of thing. I was like, oh, I have a shot to make the cut. Why not just try and run the tables?

I played really well on the front nine obviously, shot 5-under. Today was the best I hit the ball honestly. I had a lot of opportunities and I don't think I made a putt over ten feet honestly. Might have made an 11-footer. I had a ton of 15-footers I didn't make.

But really played well and drove it great today, which was better than the last couple days.

Q. Feel like it freed you up a little bit maybe mentally the last 27, 28 holes?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I felt free honestly, even the beginning of the week. I knew there would be a lot of low scores out here. The course is so pure and it's soft from the of the rain they've gotten. It's a green light special out here if you keep it in the fairways.

Knowing that I was like, hey, if I can somehow find way to make the cut here, and I knew there was going to be some low scores this weekend, so honestly if I made some more putts today I could have posted something low. Just having that attitude.

Q. I'm hearing people in the crowd saying, let's go Sahith. Some shirts as well.

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah.

Q. The support that you've been getting here, what's it been like for a young guy like you?

SAHITH THEEGALA: It's been awesome. My family texted me that it's been really cool to be on a featured group to get to see me from far away. I was actually shocked how many people came out and watched even today really early.

We had such a good group the last couple days. Even when I wasn't playing well I think that -- honestly that helped me kind of pick me up a little bit yesterday, because I was definitely down at the start of that round.

It's been really --it's insane to see the support. I couldn't have really imagined something like this.

Q. You were talking about the imagination that you bring to the game. Does this course suit creativity? Is there a comfort level you're finding here?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I think that's the beauty of just how I've played my whole life, is I don't necessarily feel like there are courses that don't really suit me. I'm very optimistic about golf courses and I give myself the benefit of the doubt. I'm like, oh, I like this golf course, even if there are some shots that maybe don't fit my eye.

Yeah, I think this is another great example of you definitely have to work the ball on some shots. There are some trees in some pretty good spots where you're going to have to make a decision to go one way or the other.

Yeah, I really like a lot of tee shots. I can hit my pretty big bleeder out there, so I would say this definitely fits my game pretty well.

It's just when the greens are soft, these guys are way too good. Way too good. They're going to fire at a lot of flag sticks that normally we wouldn't fire at if the greens were firmer.

It's so pure that even if you miss the green by a little bit, it's not too hard to get up and down.

Q. When the attitude for tomorrow?

SAHITH THEEGALA: More of the same. Just going to enjoy it. Not really going to be in the hunt, so just try and shoot something really stupid low, but not get too carried away. Just keep going.

It was a lot of fun today. Badds is a great dude. Yeah, just felt like me and Carl, just a little morning stroll out there today, yeah.

Q. The sand shot on 17 apparently you clipped that so good you cut it.

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I cut the ball. It was a perfect scenario. Basically it was a second shot. We just wanted it avoid that first right bunker, which would've been like a 55-yard shot.

Left one we weren't too worried about because it was a shot where if I chunked it wold land on the downslope and kind of roll up, or if I nipped it it would do what it did.

Yeah, I did not think it was going to spin that much. I thought I hit it to that, but ended up almost spinning off the green, which was actually pretty cool.

But, yeah, it probably looked harder on TV, but we thought it was doable.

Q. Felt pretty good to make that put then, I guess.

SAHITH THEEGALA: That was the longest putt I made all day I think. If I didn't make it there, it would just kind of -- it's still a good round, but like would've felt a little deflating for sure. It was nice to pay that off.