Q. Strong start to another tournament for you. Where do you feel like your game is at coming off the Masters?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I feel like my game is in a great spot. My body feels good. I think I've said this a lot over the last couple years, which is a good thing, but I feel like I'm playing the best golf I've ever played.
It's funny because the last two weeks I still played well; I finished 30th and 45th. Had some people ask me, what's going on, looked like you were struggling. I'm like, I'm playing fine. Golf is just really hard. I still think I have a ways to go to where I see myself hopefully at some point.
But game is in a great spot. I was pumped for this week after last week because last week is so tiring and exhausting. This week is super chill, flat golf course, and kind of know exactly what needs to be done.
But yeah, game feels good still.
Q. Augusta is known as a place you can use your creativity. Do you feel like you can still do that here, though different types of golf courses?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, 100 percent. I really didn't hit it too poorly at Augusta. My short game and my putting usually saves my butt. Really let me down there. It was probably one of the worst short game performances ever.
It was nice to come here where the short game shots around these greens are a lot more -- pretty much you have one option. It's hard to hit a high nipper around here; it's just kind of the bump or the putt.
But I agree. I think you need to be very creative around here, as well, especially off the tee. You really have to be working it kind of with the grains of the fairways and away from the trees. Some holes it's almost like your best shot is kind of hitting it at a tree and hoping that you don't go behind the tree. It's kind of fun in that way.
Yeah, it's a different type of creativity from Augusta. I feel like you need to hit every single shot in the bag at Augusta, but out here you can kind of still stick with your shot but just kind of play a numbers game.
Q. Just coming off the Masters, a nice exhale this week, do you think ahead to -- we've got another Wells Fargo coming up, PGA is right behind it, Memorial is right behind it, it's nonstop coming up. Does it ever make you tired thinking about it, or is it exciting?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, it's both. I think I've done a better job this year of pacing my schedule. I haven't played quite as much, and my body is thanking me. I feel like I have more energy for the bigger events, which is awesome. It's really worked out well at the start of the year, especially taking a couple weeks off before Bay Hill and PLAYERS. I really saw the productivity of that.
It's both. I'm starting to understand what it means to be playing in majors and trying to compete, which is so, so fun. I'm so excited that there's three more left and a bunch of big events in between that.
It really is kind of a chess game trying to make sure your game is feeling good but also that your body is fresh enough. I find it like an exciting challenge more than, man, I've got to play --
Q. Given your newness out here, is it hard for you to take weeks off?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yes. I sit at home and -- I love watching sports, so I'll watch anything on TV, and I'm like, did I really just not play? I'm in a PGA TOUR event this week and I didn't play? Still pretty funny to me, and I joke with my buddies all the time. I would always say I'm playing every event I get into, half jokingly, but I was like, I'm not missing a TOUR event. We've grinded our whole lives to get here and now I'm just going to be skipping a bunch of events. It feels weird to take it off, but I see the benefit in doing so. That's probably been the number one answer when I've asked guys that have played out here for a long time, what's their secret to the longevity. It's really not pushing it.
There might be some courses and tournaments that you love that that year just don't happen to fit the schedule, so you try and make room for that the next year. Hopefully you play long enough to play a bunch of years in a row where the schedule fits exactly how you want it.
Q. You mentioned shaping your shots off the tee at this course and how you can't really bomb it down the fairways on too many of them. The mental side of this course, does it play a little more than just the average golf course?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yes, I love it. It's kind of a breath of fresh air. Augusta is a similar way in that you can't just bash driver off every tee, and I just love that. You've got to get creative with the tee shots. You've got to use four or five different clubs off the tees.
I'm not the longest or straightest hitter. I can get it out there, but it's nice knowing it's not a driving contest. You can hit anything off of any tee pretty much, and I think guys in the past have actually put driver away completely.
I know they lengthened the course. For some reason I always think it's under 7,000, and you get up there and it's 7,200. Feels like it shouldn't be that long, but it still plays pretty long.
It's nice knowing that you step up to a tee and you have a game plan before the tournament knowing that, hey, could be one of two or three clubs depending on the wind, pin, trees, the tee box locations. I love it. I love that kind of challenge.
Q. How was putt-putt yesterday?
SAHITH THEEGALA: It was hard. Got my butt kicked. Those round grips on those putters had me fazed. I got beat by a bunch of kids, which is fine.
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