Q. Sahith, 6-under 65. Two eagles. Excellent round of golf. If we can get some comments?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Thanks, JB. Yeah, it was a great round. I don't even know what happened. Went by so fast. I felt like I hit my irons really well. Been hitting them nice for a little bit now, especially a little draw which I haven't been able to hit in a while.
So being able to work it both ways right now with the iron shots really feels like there is not really a pin or distance that's out of reach, which is nice. Definitely hit a few squirrelly drives, especially left.
Going to figure that out, but the good ones are good and the short game feels great. I think that was a huge emphasis over the offseason, to try and get my short game as good as it can be. That's the thing I love practicing the most, so I just went ahead and did that.
It's nice to see it pay dividends.
Q. Two eagles today, including one on 13 and birdie on 17. At a tournament like this where the closing stretch has so many opportunities for birdies and also mistakes down the stretch, what kind of effect does that have on bringing the field closer together and how do you manage the caution and a aggression that you have to weigh as you come down that stretch on a Sunday?
SAHITH THEEGALA: For sure I think the back nine is incredible. It's a perfect nine. A lot of very scary shots, and if you pull off those scary shots you're going to be rewarded pretty much every time.
The nice thing is if you do hit it in the water -- I need figure out a better way to play 17. I play that hole so bad. Still felt like I was pretty confident I could get up and down for par. That was such a bonus that that went in.
Yeah, even 15 and 13, you hit a good drive on 13, becomes a par-4 almost. If you hit a bad drive on 13, you love a five. Same thing with 15. It's all about the second shot. If you pull the second shot off you have an eagle look. If not, you almost take five. It's such a hard wedge shot into those greens.
It's one of the most fun back nines in terms of you can absolutely rip it up. You can shoot 30, 28, 29. It's been done a bunch of times. You can also kind of have a disaster. So it's kind of I guess the takeaway is stay patient and anything can happen, good or bad.
Q. Totally separate note, with regards to TGL what does it feel like to be able to play for a city that's so close to you? And kind of obviously athletes always want to represent their city as best they can. For golf that's not something you get to the opportunity to do every day. What does that feel like?
SAHITH THEEGALA: It's awesome. I was just an honor that they chose me for the LAGC team. To represent my hometown is pretty epic. I know LA always shows out. I think we got the best franchise in TGL. Biased, but it's awesome. Means the world to me. All my family is still in LA. It's still home for me. Still spend a little bit of the year there.
Yeah, it's awesome. It's something that's definitely rare in golf, so to have that team aspect and play for my hometown team is pretty cool.
Q. How much fun is it to play golf now that you're healthy? How much more do you play?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Super fun. If anything, I'm over cautious about trying to stay healthy. Get up a little more careful in the mornings and just a little more careful about what I'm going on a day to day basis. There is nothing I love more than playing golf I feel like, and being injured kind of robbed me of the fun I had during golf.
So just playing healthy, not going to take it for granted, one foot in front of the other, and stay that way. It's a lot of discipline stuff. Sometimes bad luck happens. Just got to do what I can do to stay that way.
Q. You you mentioned discipline. Do you have to sort of dial back physically what you're doing compared to what you want to do?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Not necessarily. You know, I feel like especially with driver I -- there is a lot left in the tank. It's nice to know that I can -- if I ever need to I know I can get to that low, mid 180s ball speed. I'm pretty comfortable, happy with my 75 or 76, whatever it's at now.
I've never really chased that. I know it's there, but that's something that's important for me not to get tricked into that.
Always had a little bit of speed and long levers and hit it decently far enough, especially when the course gets firm. So just not to get tempted too much. I think if I do my due diligence in the gym and listen to what my trainer and team say I'm going to gain distance slowly. I think every one on that paths does.
So, yeah, I always want to. It's just kind of the forbidden fruit. I want to reach in and take a bite, but going to withhold for now.
Q. Any yardages different in terms of clubs you're hitting?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I think I'm hitting my irons maybe as far as ever, especially with the draw. I've hit pretty much only cuts the last couple years. To get drawback is nice.
Feels like I can get to most numbers which is a really good feeling.
Ball goes so far out here, too. You know, stock 9-iron out here on a quad is going 170 yards with. So nearly is full club for me this week which is pretty wild.
A little adrenaline, too. For example on 18 I had 220 hole and I hit just a stock 8 plus or 7-iron. So you hit some pretty ridiculous clubs into these greens.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, so I had all kinds of wrist problems even when I was younger and in college. I got a couple surgeries on my left wrist, ECU tendon, sheath repair. My TFCC was torn; got that shaved down. Joint cleaned up.
The surgery went great. I've had zero issues since. You know, I consult with my doc and he said to just keep it on. I do have a little bit of a lack of mobility. I would love to play with it off honestly. I do play with it off every now and then to make sure the structural integrity of my wrist is there.
It's more -- it's kind of a safety measure. I can't do everything that I want to do with my left wrist because it is pretty tight. Especially like speed around the greens, bunker shot, I'm not able to fully uncock that wrist because it's -- you know, it's a reasonably tight tape.
Yeah, kind of safety and prevention again. My left wrist I've lost some feeling it is as well, so -- right on top. No issues or anything. Surgery went incredible in college. Had zero issues since. Shoutout Dr. Shin. Yeah, that's kind of why.
Q. Precautionary?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, it's precautionary and kind of almost necessary as well because I can definitely get my wrist into some positions that we don't want to get it in. It doesn't prevent it necessarily, but gives me a cue to be like, all right, don't get silly here, steep, chunky left, weak grip, whatever it is.
So, yeah, I do wish I could -- maybe some time I'll get out of it.
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