Q. Kind of a disjointed final round, but your overall thoughts on the final round?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, got off to a really poor start yesterday. Probably the best break I've in a long time on hole 5 yesterday. I don't know if I've talked about it already, but I hit a tree like 40 yards off the tee, and it should have probably gone out-of-bounds, it was so far left, and it came straight back at me, and basically got to replay the hole from 30 yards in front of me. I thought it was for sure an OB ball.
But took advantage of that break, made par, and then birdied the next hole. So I was even through 6. Even though the first 6 usually play really easy, that par on 5 really kept me in the tournament, and since then I played great.
Had a bogey on 10 but hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, a couple nice up-and-downs, but super happy with how I played this whole Sunday/Monday.
Q. Five top 10s this year. Where do you feel your game is right now as we continue to go into bigger parts of the year?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, my game feels awesome. Last week at Augusta, it's the best week of the year. It was definitely a bummer to finish how I did. But it honestly gave me more optimism for my game because my ball-striking, I could see the difference I've made since even last year. My ball-striking has gotten a lot better, and it's so cool to see that progress. My short game has kind of been the one holding me back recently, which is crazy to say because it's been there for me my whole life, and I know it's going to come back to me. I'm just going to keep putting in the work with that. Feel like I'm kind of due for it to all click. It's really, really close.
But yeah, I feel like I'm very close to putting it all together and really being in contention because even though I finished second, I felt like I was never really in it to win there. Scottie was just so far ahead. It's close, and I can't wait for some of the big events this summer to roll around.
Q. What does it say about your game where you feel like the short game, which has always been there for you in your career and your life, but that the ball-striking is the one that's doing the job right now? What does that say about where you are in your game and how comfortable you are with it?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, it's just a big shout-out to my team. Rick, my childhood coach, we've been working together for 20 years now, and it's funny, we've unlocked a few things the last few years just because my body is in better shape. Knock on wood, I haven't been injured since the middle of college, and I struggled with injuries my whole life. Then my trainer has got me in great shape to do some things on the golf course that I haven't been able to do.
I think I've just got to keep putting in the work. I love practicing my short game, and I feel like maybe I've been slacking little bit on that, so just kind of get back on the grind of that and let the ball-striking come as it is because I've honestly been hitting less balls than I ever have, too, just making sure each of my reps when I practice is super intentional with the ball-striking and focusing on simple things.
Every time I get out of whack, it's all about -- my coach Rick always shouts me out about contact and setup and rhythm and just simple things because the other stuff we've kind of taken care of in the past, and we know what needs to be done. Just making progress towards that is awesome, and honestly makes me even more optimistic about my game because I know the short game is going to come around. I hit it so bad for so many years, it's in there still.
But yeah, I'm excited to just get back to work and just keep getting better.
Q. Looking ahead to next week, how excited are you to tee it up with Will at Zurich?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I'm super excited. It's a different mindset next week. Usually I'm never like, I'm going to this tournament to win. Obviously every tournament I tee it up, I wouldn't be playing if I didn't think I could win, but this tournament is a little different mindset. I just want to win really badly with Will. I'm pumped that he agreed to play with me and know he's going to carry me a little bit, but we're just with going to have such a good time, and I think our games mesh really well. We're going to give each other some crap if we hit bad shots and give each other plenty of love for the good shots.
It's going to be a lot of fun, and I think really just going to try and take it down.
Q. Sounds like you asked him to be your partner. How long ago was that and how long have you guys been looking forward to that?
SAHITH THEEGALA: Honestly it wasn't that long ago. Maybe a month and a half, two months ago I'd say. We shot a FootJoy commercial late last fall, and that kind of went off and people really liked that ad. That wasn't the motivation behind it, but it's a fun spinoff of that.
I have a lot of respect, and Will is a big-game hunter and it's been awesome to see his comeback from his back injury, and I think he's doing such a good job with his body and his game. There's no doubt he's going to win a lot of tournaments and probably a lot of majors, as well.
I'm just pumped he agreed to play with me. It'll be a lot of fun. It was only probably a month and a half, two months ago. We're with the same agency and everything like that. It's just going to be a lot of fun.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports