BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 25, 2024

Sahith Theegala

Castle Pines Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You've locked up your spot for the Presidents Cup top 6. How does it feel to be a pick and not have to rely on a captain's pick?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, it feels great. It feels great. I was kind of close to the last two teams but not really. On both lists I was probably somewhere between 14 and 18. So I knew the feeling of having been close but not quite doing enough to even deserve a pick or anything like that.

That just fueled me a little bit more to not only get in the top 12 but really the top 6 and lock it up. It was huge.

I tried to not let it get to my head at all. It's hard not to think about, especially because I haven't been on a team before. Yeah, I'm just so, so happy I locked up a spot and Jim doesn't have to pick me.

I'm already thinking about it now. I tried to not think about it for as long as possible, but really looking forward to it, and just thinking how I can best prep myself, and I'm sure I'll ask a lot of the other guys for some advice and what to look for and how to prep and stuff. But I'm super pumped.

Q. Have you played in team events?

SAHITH THEEGALA: No, I never played in any junior or college team events. It's kind of the same thing, I was just outside like on a lot of Palmer Cup teams and Walker Cup teams, just outside, and was always upset because -- I was a good junior golfer but not great, so I was always not really close. In college I got a lot better, and I felt like I was right on the cusp. USGA did my dirty on those Walker Cup teams. I honestly thought I might have been on both teams.

But it's all good. Again, just more fuel to the fire. It's going to be a new experience for me.

Q. Have you talked to Furyk at all this season?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yes. Jim has been awesome. He's invited some guys over for a few dinners, and there was a pretty intimate one last week. He's just so pumped for me. He was giving me my flowers basically. He was just proud of how I've played all year and couldn't wait to get me on the team.

I asked him a lot of questions, and I did a lot of listening. Other guys had questions, and I was just listening. It just seems awesome. It's just incredible how into it all the guys are, and I'm sure we're going to talk a lot more after TOUR Championship when we have a few weeks off. Yeah, I can't wait.

Q. Going on to next week at TOUR Championship, obviously not the finish here you would have hoped but still a great week to come next week. Thoughts going into Atlanta?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, the last couple years I think I was like 29th and 31 coming into this week, so super, super stressful, and this year not as much stress. Maybe I need the stress. Maybe I need the stress of nerves.

Yeah, tough week, but it was so freeing knowing that I'm into East Lake and I can actually look forward a little bit starting now. I was very focused on this week and just didn't have it. But super exciting to be back at East Lake and hopefully starting at 3- or 4-under instead of even, so it doesn't feel like I'm spotting everyone strokes. I feel like I'm just going to be starting middle of the pack. Really feel like -- I saw what Rory did when he ended up winning it all. It's cool to see that it's possible. It's possible if you have one of the best tournaments ever that you can catch those guys on top.