No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 548: Sahith Theegala

Episode Date: April 27, 2022

Sahith Theegala joins Soly to relive his incredible run earlier this year at the Waste Management Open. We also get into his junior and collegiate careers, his close calls to earning his first PGA Tour win, learning how to compete on tour, dealing with injuries, future goals, and a ton more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yes! That is better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most. made his epic run that event, but we kind of slipped away for him as for a couple of months, but we got it done. And we talked a lot about that week, what it was so special to him. And went into it in pretty great detail, great interview,

very easy to root for this kid. After listening to this one, I would have to say, no bang up is brought to you by our friends at Precision Pro Golf, the official rangefinder of NOU. We're actually out here at Van and right now with a couple of the founders in there seeing a lot of precision pro range fighters on a lot of people's bags, which is awesome to see.

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the rangefinders or go to precisionprogolf.com and save $20 with code no laying up, all one word again, code no laying up to save $20 at precisionprogolf.com. Dial in your distances and take stress out of your game with precision progolf. Let's get to Sahat Tagala. So we're sitting here in April now. Does waste management feel like about a year ago now? Does it feel like last week? Does it feel like two months ago? What does it feel like?

Man, it honestly feels like it just happened still. Like I really just moved so quickly recently that I don't even know what data is sometimes like, even yesterday, we're out at dinner and haven't dinner with Bo and his caddy Dave and my caddy Carl and I was like, I had no idea what day was there like, oh, it's a Tuesday night. I was like to come out next week. But what has life been like for you since then? I think it felt like a very quick adaptation from golf fans into your, in a quick investment into your success in that week.

And I'm just wondering what the last few months have been like since then. It's been so cool. Like I've never thought that I'd be in a situation like I am right now. Like obviously blessed on the golf side. It's have my card this year and all that, but also just like the overwhelming support of all the fans.

Like it's incredible how many people come up to me at every event and they're like, dude, your story is so great. Like thanks for being inspiration. Thanks for being an easy dude to root for. And I'm like, man, thanks guys. Like I'm honestly just playing golf. And it was more a testament to how my parents raised me I'm like, man, thanks guys. Like I'm honestly just playing golf and I'm, it was more a testament to how my parents raised me

and the job they did, but it's been really cool. And again, it's happened so fast and I was just talking to my brother. I've been home at my house, at my parents' house in LA. I've been there seven days in 2022. And it's almost, we're almost done with April with April so I spent on the road the whole time. Is that where you live then full time? Yeah, so I was going to move out. I was talking to my friends about moving out right after graduating So, and I love LA, so I would never was really interrushed to get out. So, yeah, I was still living there until I guess officially last week I moved in with a couple buddies in the woodlands Texas, but I'm still

going to stay in LA as much as I can. I love being near my family and my friends and my whole team is over there too, so, but yeah, I guess officially I've moved to the woodlands as of 10 days ago. So if you've been on the road that much, you haven't been in, you haven't played every single week, on tour since waste management, right? So what do you do, where are you on the road in an off week? So the first week was Sony and we haven't done a family vacation

and I don't even know, seven years or something like that. We do a good job going on trips for Thanksgiving but just driving the national parks and stuff but like a real vacation we didn't do so we went to Maui the week before. So we pretty much started the new year. We had two days of the new year at home, and then started the new year in Bali pretty much. So, and then I was going to play for

in Iran, the West Coast, but luckily I got a sponsor invite to waste and then rib. So that was six weeks in a row. I had an off week after rib, but I only spent two or three days of it at home. I went down to San Diego and played some golf with some buddies, and then that was the week of the Honda. So I took that week off and then I ended up going to Florida a couple days early. So I was only home for three days there. And then I had five weeks to go again. It was kind of unplanned. But you're not in a spot right now where you're turning down tournaments, right? Because I guess are there events

you're still struggling to get into or kind of for listeners say, what's the status of how you're making your schedule out as you go along? Yeah, so that's been the tricky thing. Like I didn't know if I was going to be in tournaments like Bay Hill or players. I just got, actually Bay Hill was in by a little bit

but players I just got in which was freaking awesome. So yeah, even like RBC, Heritage, I was just a couple in and then I'm still waiting on PGA, Colonial Memorial. I think I'm like right on the border for Colonial Memorial. I need a good week this week to get a PGA. So I still don't really know my schedule for the rest of the year, which is kind of ironic in a way.

But yeah, I'm not 100% sure about what I'm gonna be know my my schedule for the rest of the year, which is which is kind of ironic in a way, but yeah, I'm not 100% sure about what I'm going to be getting into. So I'm not 100% sure where my off-weeks are going to are going to lay. Well, let's go back, you know, I'm going to spend a lot of time talking about waist management a bit for for the listeners sake, kind of your your background, right? And your rise up through your amp through the Amateur ranks and into professional golf, I know it's always hard to summarize that story, but where does that story start for you and kind of, you know, for listeners, say take us to a bit of your background?

Yeah, my dad, both my parents are broke from India. They came over and they're mid 20s or so. My dad was the first person from his family to come from India to the States. So I have him to thank for everything obviously. And obviously sports, it wasn't, you know, it's not a huge part of Indian culture. There's always academics first,

but my dad always had this fascination with sports that I think even some of the family members didn't quite understand, but I'm very thankful for it. So pretty early on, he picked up, he did his master's degree at Kansas State, played all kinds of sports there, loved watching sports. So that's how I got into it.

He loved watching sports on TV. So I'd just sit on the couch and watch golf, basketball, football, everything with him. So I played a little bit of everything growing up. But again, I wasn't so sure how seriously I would take all this. I was really good at basketball and golf growing up, but I didn't really put in a ton of work in both of them. I focused on my studies and that kind of thing. But I started playing really well

again, kind of late high school when I was getting recruited by colleges. I still wasn't like a top recruit. Like, you know, I couldn't have gone to like UT or Stanford or schools like that, but luckily Pepperdine was lucky enough to offer me and just seemed like a perfect fit for me. So, and then that's kind of where the story really starts for me golf wise, I think. Like I had a solid junior career,

but I knew I needed to make all kinds of progress in college to get to the next level. And obviously there's a pipe dream for me to play professional golf, but we really weren't sure about the actual feasibility of me doing it. Obviously me and my father dream big and coach beard and arm and Carl and Blaine all saw all my assistant coaches saw the potential I had but I think every golfer goes through that phase of am I really good enough to do this like this real life like come on snap out of that kind of thing but I just made a great progression in college and I have my team to thank for that and also a little bit myself I kind of had a renewed I don't know what the word would be, but I started working a lot harder on my game.

I started practicing better, started feeling better, have it's off the golf course, started to kind of enjoy life a little bit more and kind of see that golf, golf didn't make me, golf wasn't my life, you know? And I think having that perspective, if they're college really helped me get a lot better. And so another big thing

that happened before Turdy Pro was I was dealing with the wrist injuries my whole college career pretty much. And I never could really figure out what it was. We always thought it was just tenonitis. And I always felt like it helped me back a little bit. Historically, I've always been a cutter of the ball steep and left, so a lot of impact was on my left wrist. Anyway, it ended up boiling over too much my junior year and it got to the point where I literally could not grip a golf club. It couldn't grip a golf club without pain. It couldn't shampoo my hair with my left hand. Couldn't open the door with my left hand. It was really bad.

So I was like, okay, I should probably stop taking quarters on shots and really get it checked out. Is it on her side? Is it this side? Yeah, yeah, I have probably the exact same thing. It's so, when it's bad, it is so painful. You can't buckle your seat belt. No, you literally can't, you cannot run your hand through your hair. Can't buckle your seat belt. No, you literally cannot run your hand through your hair.

Can't buckle your seat, yeah, no, you hit her on the head. Is it harder with shorter club? Like that's the thing for me, like putting, is I'd have to almost put one hand in when it's bad. Like the short club, the worst, the angle, yeah, that's the same thing. Yeah, so it's going to get into it. Like I literally went from putting conventional to crosshanded because I couldn't, I literally couldn't make that slight bend in my wrist.

And anyway, I went into the doctor, got an MRI, I'm all kind of the testing, and my wrist was legitimately just blown up. Had a torrenty of CC, needed a debridement in my joint, it was all kinds of tissue stuff in there, and my tendon was popping in and out. Subbloxation was a term

I think and my tendon sheath was gone. I mean just totally torn up. And I was like oh okay that makes a lot of sense why I can't do anything. So made a tough decision to to register at that next year just because the recovery from surgery was going to take so long. But anyway, long story short, that really was a big turning point for me in that perspective and being like, hey, I just, I had to step away from golf for 10 months. There's a thing I've done my whole life. I think I've put so much time and effort into all of a sudden, it was kind of taken away from me. But I realized how many great people I had behind me and all that stuff. So that really helped me when I got back into playing golf and along with some work with my coach Rick Hunter, shallowed out my swing of tons.

So I didn't put that pressure on my wrist. I went from hitting only cuts to hitting majority draws down with my hands. So that was a big change in how I saw shots and stuff. But the last two years post surgery is the best golf I've played in my life and it's been a really steady increase and it's just been really cool to be. It's funny. I'm along for the ride in my own golf, which is funny. It's like I'm kind of seeing it from a spectator viewpoint too. It's like sometimes I'm like I'm really playing like this good. This is wild.

So yeah. I think that's what makes it appealing, man. There was something about the waist management in particular, just a lot of the things you said and your style of play. It, it, it's, I go back and forth on this, right? Cause I knew I was gonna have to drag this out of you. You won the Haskins, the Ben Hogan, and the Nicholas Award.

You're the fifth person ever to win all three awards in the same year. So you came with an enormous amateur pedigree into the professional world. Yet at the same time, I feel like I'm watching somebody that is along for the ride, right? You wear your emotions on your sleeve. The way you played it, you got out to the lead at waste management. And it felt like that Saturday was the most exhausting round of golf possible. You were in the desert the whole day.

Oh my god. I don't know if you wear a woop. Like what was your woop straight at the end of that day if they were it. Yeah, so I wear a woop and I've always I always get really nervous to turn them around. It doesn't matter what tournament. It doesn't matter what day. My heart rate just gets pumping. So like a normal round of 18 holes of golf for me, like, is between 12 and 13 string, like pretty normal.

And it seems like a lot of golfers are pretty similar, if not even more 14 for a casual run of golf, but tournament golf for me is usually between 16 and 18. And my heart rate is just so jacked up. It's like my heart rate is like averaging 120, 125, wild. But Saturday at waste management, 20.7 strain, with hitting the normal amount of balls I do didn't do any extra practice, no extra workout, nothing like that. 20.7 and then Sunday was 20.5. I mean, it was absurd how it was the most two of the most stressful rounds of golf I've played. But that's just like that's I would imagine that's just the the elevated competition is just raising your heart rate for that like sustained period of time and it's it's kind

of hard. It's like that's why I struggle with it. I'm trying to get grasp the understanding of of where fatigue comes from and golf, right? Because like I can walk 18 holes and be totally fine and not be fatigued yet. If it's competition, it's a whole different drain. And then like to like I'm still we're talking on a Wednesday. We got back in the country on Saturday from Scotland. Like I honestly am still catching up on sleep. And like how you guys roll that week to week is like when you're talking about being

on the road every week. Great. I'm 35. You're young. But like it's got to be like a I struggled to describe fatigue and golf. I'm wondering if you can kind of help me with that. No, you hit it. You hit it spot on right there. It's like, you know, while we're I feel like I can speak for a lot of players like while we're on the golf course, there's just a little bit of adrenaline, a little bit of extra focus that you put in where the fatigue you don't really feel while we're on the golf course, there's just a little bit of adrenaline, a little bit of extra focus that you put in where the fatigue you don't really feel. So like on the golf course, I think it's all good for mostly the guys out here.

It's mostly off the golf course. It's like getting up in the morning, going through a little workout, stuff like that. You just don't wanna do it because you're tired. And then for me personally, like obviously it's allergy season now and allergies have been pretty bad, but the instant I'm done, I put in on 18, my allergies kick in, and I have to attribute it to like,

I lose, one stuff stopped focusing, one state adrenaline starts wearing off, kicks in immediately, and that's usually how it is for the fatigue part with me too. I'll be sitting down at dinner on a Saturday. And I'll be like, man, like, I don't know what happened. Like all of a sudden, I'm just so tired. I think a lot of guys have their own way to kind of deal with it.

And for me, obviously my rookie year and still learning every step of the way. But like, I've been taking Mondays so easy. Because in the fall, I was like, this is like freaking awesome. I get best golf course to practice on. I can do whatever I want on Mondays. Now I'm like straight zombie on Mondays, get a little workout in, relax as much as possible, let the body recover.

Go get some work done on my back and all the little stuff. So it is tiring. But like every time I think about that, I talk to my cat at Carl's, it's a pretty good problem to have, right? It's a pretty good problem to have. That makes a lot of sense of, gosh, I could be out at blah, blah, blah, of course playing right now, but I'm just sitting at home hanging out, but you do have to manage that. That's something that, for sure.

For someone that's on the up and up, you are, it hasn't gone through all of these experiences, yet, I'm sure it's a tough, tough I hear about people that play the masters the first time Or like 18 Monday 18 Tuesday 18 you're like, why did I do that? Look you back at it But you're like I can go play a gustor right now. Yeah a quick break here to check in with our friends at Woop the personalized digital fitness and health coach and Official fitness wearable of the PGA and LPGA tours you can monitor your sleep Training recovery and health with personalized recommendations and coaching feedback from Woop and official fitness wearable of the PGA and LPGA tours. You can monitor your sleep, training, recovery, and health with personalized recommendations and coaching feedback from Woop.

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and your code NLU15 that check out to save 15%. Let's get back to solid tagala. Going back, so the waste management and you can go to the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the website at the situation. What was that disappointment like and did it feel different being in contention of a tour event for other golf you played? So like leading up into that it was pretty wild like the the year before I got I was lucky enough to get five starts on tour plus qualify for use open and then some starts on corn fairy. I actually wanted qualified in the three of them but it was like the best golf I've played and and I felt like I was playing my best golf throughout that whole year and I was like the best golf I've played and I felt like I was playing my best golf throughout

that whole year. I was finishing like 30th, like, couple top 25s on Cornfairy, had a good finish at Memorial, came in like 30th, but like, you know, nothing great. Like, anyone looking at it is like, I was just playing, you know, whatever, average golf but for me, it was like, wow, I'm playing really well. And then it all clicked Cornfairy Finals, those two weeks, those last two weeks of Cornfery Finals, it was probably the best two events I've ever played in my life. And I came in fourth and sixth there. And as far as I'm even still looking back at it, those are the best two four rounds of golf I've

played in my life, I think, considering the situation, all that. So the first couple of events of the fall series, I was just keeping that momentum from those cornferrey finals. And I was just striping. It was the best I ever hit the ball at Napa and Sanderson. And similar to Waste, I don't even know what happened. I shot eight under the first day at Sanderson's like whoa, I'm leading I'm a PJ to our event. This is sick and

It's just yeah, just I literally played in my opinion flawless golf for 63 holes at Sanderson and I don't know what it was but walking I made a great parsing on nine to find around on Sunday at Sanderson and I don't know what it was but walking I made a great part save on 9 to find around on Sunday at Sanderson and I don't know what it was. Maybe I just didn't take a you know just take an extra moment to kind of refocus and It let myself just keep playing golf. I felt my myself getting a little bit nervous and obviously seeing a leader board behind I had to lead on a back night on a Sunday on tour where six weeks ago I had zero status. I don't know, I just hit two, five yard pushes with seven yards back to back and hit it in the green seven bunker and 10 and hit it on the bank of the water on 11 and kicked in and all of a sudden I'm three back.

It's like, man, that happened quick. But, you know, looking back on that, it was a great week. And I got paired with Cam Tringoli on Sunday, which made it really great. He and his caddy are my caddy was staying with Cam's caddy. And he also caddyed for Cam for four years, I think. But we had dinner every night and it was pretty cool that we got paired up on Sunday, but looking back on it,

and I was like, I was so close, even with like ridiculous mistakes on the back of that Sunday, I mean, that other than those two holes I bogeyed, I think I had one bogey before that for the tournament. I bogey those two holes, and then I three putted from like 12 feet on 13 And at that point I didn't think much for me. I'm like, oh, I've already lost my opportunity to win like whatever

just trying Run the tables coming in but Then I realized like how big of a difference it is from finishing I finished eighth versus finishing third or fourth if I was a shop better and I finished eighth versus finishing third or fourth, but I was a shot better. And I don't know, just just the whole experience. Like I learned that obviously you're not in that many positions to win at the highest level. And when you're in a position, like, gotta go for the win. And when I felt like I did go for the win there. But also learning that, you know, I can't just be throwing away shots like I missed like a three footer on 11 because I was pissed that didn't chip it in for birdie and just

stuff like that. But yeah, looking back at it, it was like, it was a little bit of book because I was like, I played so well that I don't know, it's not like a sustainable thing to hit it that well and stuff like that, but at the same time, it's like, dude, this was my second PJ Tour event ever, is a rookie with my card, and I was leading up for 54 rolls. I was leading every step of the way. And that gave me so much confidence going forward. And the second time, obviously, at Waze, I felt way better prepared for the first Sunday. I think it showed like I didn't honestly played way better at Sanderson versus I did at Waze, which is which is also pretty cool to look back and reflect on. But I was just able to manage it so much better at Waze like I honestly didn't get everything out of out of my game at Sanderson and I still had the lead. So, you know, it's funny is like I still haven't

watched the coverage from the final around at Sanderson. I haven't watched any shots. But yeah, I just, I reflected on it, but I really didn't want to dwell on it too much because it hurt. Like, I was getting so many congratulatory messages and I was like very thankful obviously, but and I was hurting that whole plane ride Sunday night to Vegas and honestly maybe let it affect me a little bit in Vegas too and I missed the cut there but it was definitely a bag of mixed emotions that because I'm such a I'm like a closet competitive guy I don't really show my competitiveness for say, but very competitive guide. It's hurt for a while. And it still hurts to talk about now.

So it's seven months after. But it felt like kind of why I was start with that is it felt like a great learning experience one because what you, you didn't have perfect stuff on the weekend at waste. But it felt like every time you gave a shot or two back, it was kind of like, ah, okay, that's the end for that's, you know, that's the Ticolo story this week. No, bang, birdie on blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you just kept coming back, and it felt like as someone that I think I had a bet on you to win Sanderson, but I'm fine, I'm fine with it too. I haven't watched any highlights either, but, uh, you know, it felt like it was

like almost immediate in terms of what you learned from that situation and how to play nervous because you're also talking about to, I can't imagine two more polar opposite playing experiences and like a fall event at Sanderson and one of the greatest, the greatest cauldron of activity around you in waste management. So all the more reason to be more nervous at waste, but I didn't feel like I was watching a nervous golfer that weekend. Yeah, that's funny much to that,

because the final round at Santerstam, there was a good crew out there, but I could still count how many people are out there following the final round. It was a great atmosphere, and the people in Jackson are awesome, but there's probably three, four, five hundred people there versus, I don't even know, Phoenix, the final day. I mean, I everywhere you look, there's people, right?

People in different positions too. They're standing up on the ground, sitting. I used to doubt those attendance numbers they would share and I went one time and I was like, I will never doubt that again. Like, it is a festival. It is unbelievable. It was absolutely incredible. And, and funny enough, it was like,

I remember a couple of times where like I was in the desert on the right on 11. And I was like, there's so many people around my golf ball. And I was like, man, I better like, I better like hit a good one here. I'm just gonna let all these people down. And that's a thought like I would never have, obviously, right without the people there.

And sure enough, I like pulled off this crazy shot that was a little suspicious, but it's almost like the people egg to me on. And actually still have a video of that. Some someone sent me a video of that over Instagram. It's like one of my favorite videos ever. I'll have to show you, but it was so insane. There's so many holes where I'm talking over yardages with my caddy and we're straight up yelling at each other. We're too, for the way, straight up yelling so that we hear each other correctly. I mean, obviously, I love the atmosphere.

I mean, when do golfers ever get to compete in an atmosphere like that Tell the story of lifting your driver up when you're in the desert. Oh, yeah, so that was on Saturday on 11 I hit it 60 yards right out of the fairway. I was actually lucky that it was just in the flat that desert and on a bush. And I was so far right that I could hook it around the trees to get it on the back and playing back on the green, hook it around the trees instead of going left and down the fairway. And there was so many people and unfortunately I was like in a little low area so it was going to be really hard to get a distance and it's going to be hard for Carl to see where I was. But I was looking over club choices and Carl's a camera to get a yardage, just stick your driver up so I can see you. And when he said that, I was like, oh man, people are going to think I'm taking a driver on hitting this thing. I mean, there's

so many people. It was wild. But I reached for the head cover and there's a couple dudes stay and make some He's like, you said driver, you said I was a driver. Before even pulled it out, just showing off I pull it out and I like, for some reason, I don't know, it's just a moment. I looked around at everyone. I took like a full look around and then stuck the driver up. I didn't know I could just stuck the driver up. So I think I think that got them

going a little bit more to stuck the driver up. But I can't see Carl right, I can't see Carl at all. So I'm like I have no idea if you've seen the driver or not. So I hold it up for like 10, 15 seconds then I put it down and like tried to like jump and look at where Carl was and I still didn't see him. So I stuck the driver up again in the cheers or even louder this time. It was incredible. Is it easy to like, easy's not the word, but is it, what's it like competing in that atmosphere, right?

Because I think there's a certain noise level that if it gets to above a certain level, you're not distracted by the noise anymore, is that accurate? 100% yeah, it's because it's so constant, right? Like, yeah. It's just like a constant buzz, the whole front nine, because you hear it from a distance on the front nine, the whole front nine, you have like a buzz in your ears.

And it's almost fine. Like you just go ahead and hit. And then the back nine, it's like, you kind of wait for like the low limit cheers, but there's people are still cheering, right? Kind of wait for the low limit noise. And that's kind of what I had to do on 11 in the desert. There are just people who are gonna stop,

like they're drinking, having a good time, like watching you hit these crazy shots. And it was funny on that whole, like I hit a shot, I hit the shot, it was over like a little blind hill of desert. And I hit it instinctively just started running after this fall. And like people are going crazy, right? And they're running after me.

And Carl was just at the bag on trying to sprint through these people, sure he knocked over a couple of people at the bag. But yeah, the noise is using insane because like Riv is my hometown event, LA, and a lot of people came out to support me there, and it was pretty loud, but not even one hundredth of the noise that was at Phoenix that that week before. You had some interesting comments after that round Saturday in terms of, you know, kind of flashing back again to what you're saying about kind of pinching yourself moments of the question was playing with Xander Brooks today.

Did it feel like you belonged and you kind of relayed like you still can't believe you're out there with it, which when we're watching on TV, we don't, we don't feel that, right? I mean, it's obvious to us that you belong at that point, but what are you kind of going through in that regard? Yeah, I, you know, I still am not 100% there yet, for sure. Like last week, I was hitting balls at RBC, trying to figure out some stuff and DJ comes up

and hits one spot in front of me. And like, I couldn't help myself. I just like stood there and watched him hit balls for two or three minutes. And I was like, man, this is pretty cool. It's getting much DJ warm up and hit balls. And it's not like the first time I've seen him too. It's probably the third or fourth time I've seen him this year.

It's still really cool. And to see these guys that I've grew up idolizing, grew up watching on TV and all that stuff. So still not 100% over it. I'm definitely more comfortable on guys like, like, Sander and Scotty and Sambar and those guys those guys have been really good to me and I'm getting there. But I still like, I still like mentally can't put myself up there with them. And obviously I have a long way to go. Like just getting started and and you know, that was, that was my closest was my only top

whatever seven finish. So still got a long way to go. And that in the results part of it too. But we're getting there. Definitely getting there. It was funny the last couple of week or last week I saw Jay Haas who's been incredible to me and he's talked to me a few times and I met him through Pepperdine and Coach Beard and emergency and Bill Haas but he's gone out he went out of his way last week to come say some encouraging words to me and talked about Phoenix for a minute and he's like, dude you got it, like I've seen a lot of young guys and I can see the passion and how much you hated losing that week. And even something like that means so much to me. And I walked over to Carl after I'm like, dude, Jay Haas, just like, guys a legend. And he just talked to me for about 10 minutes going out his way.

So we're still getting there for sure. It might not be for a while, honestly, but we're definitely trending in the right direction. That's refreshing though. I feel like at times we watch, it can feel like we're watching robots out there, and to kind of hear that kind of appreciation for it. So after that exhausting day, Saturday, you're all over the place, managed a good score,

but you gave a lot of credit to your Cadi Carl on that day. What kind of impact did he have on you? And why did that day kind of stick out as far as, you know, him earning his pay, if you will? Yeah, I mean, to this day, and our short time working together, I think 17 events this year. That's definitely the days.

I mean, he's been awesome all year, but like that day, he saved me so, so big. I got off to a really rough start. I made double on one of the easiest holes on the course on hole two, and then the next hole actually hit two great shots, but I landed on the front frames and ended up three punting for par. And I was so dejected, but I'm just

from understanding on 4-T, like Carl just saying, man, how cool is this? Like, final group, you know know on a Saturday with all these people cheering you on like let's just have fun man and he does a great job I think of riding that line between you know just going out there and being an athlete and being a kid and enjoying it versus like when it comes time to focus and really dial it in he's he's a dialed in and focused in as it gets. So I was hitting it everywhere that day and it was in the desert a lot. You know, he was telling people to move and

stuff that I'm not good at at all yet. But I mean, he was probably walked 20 miles that day trying to get distances for me. And just the whole time, like, obviously, you could tell that I was nervous and And just the whole time, like, I obviously could tell that I was nervous and everything was kind of moving fast for me. So he kind of had it all dialed to just slowing me down, you know, give me food and. Remind me drink water, all the little stuff, right, that I'm not really thinking about because I'm just so wrapped up in the golf and. He's a Sherpa, you know, I mean, he's doing more than just giving advice on clubs and things like that. Yeah. And the one of the best parts of our relationship, I think, is like, we don't really talk golf at all on the golf course. I think a lot of caddy players are that way, but like walking from like T-box to the fairway or

to the green, or always talking about something else, whether it's other sports, basketball, what we're doing, what, what, you know, as your girlfriend talking about girls, whatever it is, right? So I think just kind of keeping that normalcy, even in a situation like that was, was really big. So how well do you sleep on Saturday night? You're in the final group. You're shaking your head for the podcast listeners out there.

You're shaking your head very quickly. You're gonna be paired up with Brooks and Scotty Sheffler. What what Saturday night like? You know, funny enough Friday night actually slept great because I'm never I slept great Saturday night night. I slept great Saturday night or sorry Friday night going to Saturday at Sanderson too because I was like I have two more days, right? But at Sanderson Saturday night eating was fun. I ate great Saturday, ate great Sunday morning, but couldn't sleep. It slept in like 20, 30 minute increments. Probably got a total of three hours of sleep that day before Sanderson. And then waste management, I tried to be better about staying at a house with some buddies and stuff, so I thought it would be more relaxed. Not the same

thing. Even though I knew, even though I was a little bit more at peace with my situation at waste, I still probably got three hours of sleep. And that's, and that's with staying in bed for 11 hours. I mean, I literally could not sleep. So I probably have to figure something out for next time. I'm in that situation. But yeah, got no sleep. Couldn't even do a workout as and the Sunday at waste I couldn't eat either I couldn't eat breakfast so I was hitting balls on the range I think someone took a picture but I was hitting balls on the range and my trainer Josh was with me and all of a sudden I got like the shakes the straight-up shakes because I didn't eat anything it's like Josh

ran the player dining just grabbed a a giant plate of croissants, danishes, fruit and brought them to the rage and like 30 minutes before my tea time just scarfing fruit and desserts. And it was pretty funny, but yeah, I really struggled to do normal stuff. Kind of funny looking back on it. No, that makes total sense. It makes way more sense than just being able to sit there and handle all that.

So I don't know if this is the point where we fast forward to, you know, you come off birdie on 15, you make a par on 16 and you stand up on 17. You're tied for the lead. You kind of have the ball in your hands, kind of Michael Jordan style of you're dictating how this tournament's going to end. Describe all the considerations that go into, you know, the situation you're in there and the shot you're about to hit on 17. My, just kind of some backstoring in my whole life,

I really, I've really struggled with long clubs. Like I've never been a great, long-round player, never been a good wood, and my driver's historic play was when my worst club. But we made a ton of progress in that, but I still haven't got to the point where I'm comfortable with wood, so I just carry a strong three-iron and a hybrid, and I've done that for a long time, not pretty much all through college. And my hybrid has a nickname of Frank.

It's just a Frankenstein hybrid. So it's a 17 degree hybrid turned down to a 16. This thing is wild. You set it down. It's a pretty small hybrid head. It looks like it has a zero loft, but it's just what I've been using for four years, four, five years, four years now. Yeah.

Something that paint Ken kind of Frankenstein up for me. So it was just a perfect Frank, because that bunker short of the green was not in play with Frank. I carry it 275 and that bunker is like 260. So as long as I don't hit it bottom groove neck, it's over the bunker. And this club, this has no chance of going long.

Even if it hits on the down slope, if it hits on the down slope, it's going to be perfect. It's going to be pin high. But there was no real other discussion of laying up because I thought the wedge that would be tricky to that back pin and obviously with that middle right pin we're just trying to hit it right at it because even if I pulled it we thought it would be fine because I can't, I literally never had a draw with this club ever. So it's always going to be having cuts

spent landing. So we're like, okay, there's, there's no way like see they're going to be just right in the green that collection area, which would be an easy chip, or it's going to be perfect. We literally had no other, no other discussion maybe we're like, okay, if it lands, if I stripe it and it lands past the down slope, it's going to land into the up like, okay, if it lands, if I stripe it, and it lands past the down slope, it's going to land into the up slope, kind of where it bricks is dead, and just stay in the up slope to shortly green. Mother easy pitch. And I hit it, and I don't know what it was. I haven't even looked at the numbers of the shot, actually. But I, I mean, it was so striped right out the middle

of the face, and it started right where I was looking, it started at the right edge of the water and I usually hit like a 15 to 20 yard cut with this thing and I hit it and I'm like I've just hit the best shot of my life. I was like I've just done it. I was like I've done it. I don't know who said it but someone was like great swing. Someone on the tee right after hit it was great swing because I think we were so used to seeing that ball curve a lot more. But this ball like for some reason didn't curve as much as it usually does. It probably curved about 10 yards. But I was still, not once in my mind, was like, oh, I was like, stay right, stay right. No, I wasn't thinking that at all. I was like, I just showed up at the right distance. The last 15 yards of the ball fight like it wasn't really cutting that much

I was still cutting a little bit but and that's when I was like I should probably look at this to see like what kind of balance it takes and I see it land and my heart just drops I mean it kicked 35 degrees left and screaming forward I was like at that point I knew it was in the water like I know it probably looked close on TV, but I was like, it just falls off over there and I was like, yeah, probably I had no chance. And my heart just sank and I was immediately really angry because I was like, just hit it anywhere out right.

Like, Scotty kind of hit, he hit the, he hit a smart shot, he kind of, I could tell he missed it a little bit, but he hit it right where he needed to hit it and obviously that Looking back at I was like Is that one where I should have like really tried to hit it right? Just trust my short game, but it just seemed everything was aligned really perfectly and Definitely got some good bounces Saturday and Sunday there and

Yeah, I never really thought twice about it, but I've looked at that bounce so many times. I have it on slow mo on my phone. Like I just, we just, I just can't understand how it was cutting as much as it was. And even though it was like a little knob on that on that middle left side of that fairway. So obviously if it lands on the left side of it, it's it's not going to

kick right at all. But like the fact that it was cutting and kicked that for left and forward, it's still like kind of blows my mind. I was just like, wow. It also for me though, it was you know, you at some point are going to have to hit the shot that wins the tournament, right? Yeah. If you bail right, that up and down was not super easy, right? And that's, you know, if you're kind of take it, you know, I can make an easy par from the right side, of course, but maybe make birdie, but you have to take it on at some point, right? If you go par-par, you're in the playoff with Sheffler and Cantlay and like, you're gonna have to go hit the shot

in the playoff, right? So at some point, you have to do it. And that's whatlay and like you're gonna have to go hit the shot in the playoff, right? So at some point you have to do it. And that's what it felt like you made the decision there. Like I'm gonna hit the shot right now. And it's gotta be like, so I don't know how you wrap your head around to the, you know, it not working out because I felt like you hit the shot. I know you feel like you hit the shot and it's just a true test of, you hit how you hit all the rub of the green going forward because it just doesn't make sense.

And I know you kind of talked about too after you dropped it, you felt like you maybe you're rushing a little bit just because you're worried about that ball rolling back in the bank off the bank. And I don't know if there was any learning lessons from that. For sure. I mean, like, yeah, I haven't really talked about it much after. But kind of an underline thing for me was like 18, I really talked about it much after, but kind of an underlying thing for me was like 18 is a really tough two-shot for me because I hit a pretty big cut.

And if I don't hit it perfect, I'm not going to carry the water on the left. I don't have the carry that Scotty and Brooks have. And I was like, it's going to be tough to hit that fairway, like kind of an underlying thing. Obviously we're not saying this on 17T, right? But it's going to be a tough hole for me to birdie and sure enough, I hit on the right rough and didn't really have a chance at birdie. But yeah, the drop on 17 was so sketchy because the where the red line was drawn, like the whole area that we're dropping on is on a,

I don't know, 8% slope. And I really should have, obviously now, I should have looked at the shot and done my routine before I dropped and placed the ball. But like, everything was moving so fast and I ended up just, I called over to those fish, because the ball wouldn't stay. So we took a minute to find where the ball would stay and the ball stayed. And Carl was like, oh man, like this, like any gust of wind is knocking this ball in the lot. I mean, any gust because the bank is too steep. So I rushed my process. I was like, you know, I'm, I'm not going to lose a golf tournament on this. And Carl turns over to Rolls-Fish. He's like, so you're telling me, if this ball rolls into the water, I know we lose the golf

tournament. And the Rolls-Fish officials are staying there nodding his head. So I priced about 10 seconds on a shot. And it's a very basic chip shot. I hit a terrible chip. Not only did I hit a terrible chip, I hit it in a worse spot for the pot. I hit it 10 feet by, left myself at down to the left for riders. And it's a chip that I probably, to go through my whole process, I'm not saying I would have done it. But it's a chip that I feel very confident in through my whole process, I'm not saying I would have done it, but it's a chip that I feel very confident hitting will in five feet pretty much every time.

But yeah, I mean, always I'm just chalked it up to an insane learning experience. What, what's what happens afterward, you know, I mean, your, your emotion was very clear, you know, what did you know, you had a ton of family there? Did you know they were all there? When did they get there? Did that kind of double down in your emotions and all the things you're feeling after that round? Yeah, it's just, it all hit me at once. Like, I think I was looking at some texts after

with my college buddies who were texting me like, dude, I've never seen you cry together. I'm a pretty emotional guy, I would say, but for some reason, I've just never really, I don't know, had a reason to cry, I guess, for a while, but it had nothing to do with the golf part. Just like, kind of, I saw my mom and dad and I think getting that hug from my mom really did it in for me, but yeah, it's just kind of going back to the thing that it's just

crazy that so many people have my back. And hopefully they feel like I have their back too But yeah, it's just to see all my family and friends out there supporting me and my brother actually flew in just for the day from New Jersey I saw him on AT box and I kind of like gave me a little spark during the middle of Sundays around but yeah, just kind of all hit me I still don't even know if I have a true reason for it, but I guess I don't need to get a reason for it, right? Just kind of motions to cover and. I mean, you look at those strain numbers. That makes a lot of sense, right? I mean, if

you're exhausted, like it's the more tired I am to ease, like, you know, you could show me a sappy scene from the office and I'll start crying. Like it, it, uh, it, it, it, it, it all made sense. It has a golf fan. I think I said something about this on Twitter too. It was just like, man, that was refreshing like to, to see that from a competitor. And I felt like it was endearing and it felt like, man, whatever I just, the hours I just spent watching this golf tournament were really worth it.

You know, I was, I was personally pulling for you. And that's part of the, that's part part of like golf and sports in general is like it's not always going to work out great and I don't know. I was invested in it. I it felt like the fans were too. I know there were chance of your name and stuff in 16 and stuff I mean it felt like felt like you recognized that there was a a Ground swell support. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I literally can't describe what that week meant to me in terms of the support I got. And even looking back at it now,

like out for Scott, he's one at Augusta, what he said about, maybe not talking to his wife, married at the about, like, maybe, am I ready for this kind of, this to happen to me? Like, am I ready for this? And looking back at it, I feel like it was kind of similar for me in that position as a West for Scotty. It's like, I don't know if I'm ready for this kind of thing,

but, but anyway, it was really cool to see Scotty kind of be vulnerable there. And obviously, go on this historic freaking tear that he's on, which is so cool to see, because he's, I mean, I'm not close with the guy or anything, but he's been awesome to me and we've played ball for a long time, but to see him do what he's doing is really special. He's a nice, he's one of the nicest dudes ever. Yeah. I didn't even think about the butterfly effect. If your ball doesn't hit that, hit that slope and kick left. I wonder if all

of this happens for Scottie. I mean, it makes it. I've been telling people I'm I'll I'll have to lead takes credit for this. I'll have to I'll made the sacrifice to see, you know, a historic stretch of golf. I'm all for it. Is the emotion any different from waste management to Sanderson based on the fact that you know, you had those two seven irons that got away from you at Sanderson. And this is it felt like you hit the shot. Does it change your, what you were able to take away from it? For sure. I feel like I, like I said, handled it really well, waste, especially that double bogie early on Saturday.

I mean, I feel like I could have definitely just disappeared there. I played some of my best golf in that six, seven whole stretch after hole two to get it back. And I didn't really go through that adversity at Sanderson. So it was even better for me to do that waste where it was more heightened effect too, because at Sanderson it was more relaxed, and the golf course was definitely a little bit easier.

I think Sam ended up shooting 20, 200 maybe to win. So definitely more scoreable and you could get away with some stuff where it was waste. It was just the golf course itself isn't very hard, but it's just the conditions were so good and firm that kind of bad shots got magnified. So even something as little as that to say that I got through that was definitely progress.

I mean, definitely progress from the first time. And hopefully I'm there, you know, soon to put it to the test again. That's why I feel like I I recognize I've played in enough tournaments to know that there's just a different Gear you have to get yourself into the second year defensive your toast, right? And the second year on the like the difference in being on the offensive It's obvious to sit here and say that, but like actually channeling that is what I think is this internal battle

that you guys are going through at all times. And that's what it felt like for me watching it from the, you went from the defensive to being on the offensive in that situation. I'm curious to keep you from the same way. Yeah, yeah. That's another great point that you make. Like I think it's really easy to see these scores.

Oh, got another 1800 or 20 under winds, That's another great point that you make. I think it's really easy to see these scores. Oh, yeah, another 1800 or 20 under wins, but I don't think people realize how insane of a golf, like insane this guy golfed his ball to shoot 18-20 under. And you can't do that playing defensively. There's certain shots during certain rounds that you just kind of have to hit the shot if you're gonna win.

I think a great cliche kind of statement is being aggressive at a conservative target. And you have to be aggressive at so many conservative targets throughout the week to put yourself in a position not just to win, but you can put yourself in a position to have a good week. And yeah, well, that's a great point. The moment you start playing defensive is toast. Even if it's for a cut, like trying to make a cut, you start playing defensive towards the cut. And that's, yeah. And you have to take on a certain amount of risk too,

because it's like you want to, you know, what's the point of going around a golf course and bailing out everywhere, right? Because the guy that wins it is going to hit it right there instead of in this very safe spot. So how often do you want to take that on? Is the shot really there? Do I need to play more conservative because my shot's not there? Going through that, when you're feeling different on every single day, you get the shakes on Sunday, you don't get

any sleep. Like it's 72 holes, so there's not too much about it. It started in high school with my high school teammates. So, you know, I could tell that some of these guys, they're all pretty good golfers, but like someone we're nervous about just the stage and, you know, playing for a team for the first time and all that. So it was kind of way to ease the tension for my teammates and for myself actually

But I would get to the high school whatever tournament we're playing and There's had some tops and shakes just to kind of loosen the atmosphere, right? Just to make clear I had no intentions of throwing other people off like I'm not trying to get other people's heads or anything But it was literally just to ease the tension and I would just saying, like, hey, we're getting all the bad shots started the way. And actually, my favorite is not the stuff on the rage but it's the stuff on the putting greens. Like, we did a, I mean, this is so stupid,

look back at it, but we do like, we do like three-foot drills and we make it look like super serious, right? So we'd like light it up, hit pots, like the whole team is staying there and try and lip out as many times as possible and I think my teammate Dean Sakata has the record with 11. I'll have to double check but you lip that 11 times in a row on the same 12 putt it but it's just

stuff like that I love it because it just eases the tension. That seems like a good drill actually kind of I mean it's harder to lip out a put that make it right. See, I just kind of carried over into college at the start of college. And I don't know if you've heard of the genre. That's what I wanted to ask about. Yeah. But I'll tell it is my second college tournament ever.

Like I said, I get really nervous before tournaments. And I wasn't the best player going to college. That was the five guy. I'm actually missing my first event of the year, but I was the five guy, like super nervous, big event, a lot of good teams. And typical college golf, we have one stall for five guys trying to warm up.

And there's 20 teams there on a smaller range. And we happen to get the very left side of the range. So like picture of the range is like a small semi-circle like the middle of the range the guys hitting for the back the ends are for the step so we're on the very left side so I have a perfect vantage point of like the whole other side of the range and John Ram is hitting two guys to the right of me. But anyway, I get up there and did my kind of routine. And I hit the best shank in my life with a 54 degree. This thing literally went as close to a right, right angle off the club.

It was possible. It was like 85 degrees off right. And the ball rolls just in front of the guy at the very end of the range on the right. And I was trying to play it off like it was serious, right? Like, oh my God, I just shake it. Like I'm screwed guys. Like I'm screwed. And I was like trying to be serious

and showing off my teammates like look and see who's looking over and half the range is looking over to see what the shot and one of them was John Ram and hopefully at some point I don't even know if he knows about it or but hopefully at some point I can talk to him about and see if he remembers that. That was kind of sick. That's a special. A good, a special talent. For people that aren't as familiar with your game, what do you need to improve on to you know to be at the level you want to be at if you can snap your fingers and I need to be better at this right now, what is it? Historically for me, I've been a not a great

ball striker. My short game is said in my ass, my whole life pretty much. I've always gained strokes on the greens and my chippings. I love practicing short games, so my chippings always been a strong point. But the last couple of years, I've hit it so much better. And it's funny, we're a bit joking with Carl and even Bo and Dave. Like, I was looking at my stats after last week, because I had a couple, I had a couple of good weeks, but tough Sundays and kind of messes with the stats a little bit. And my stats are horrible this year. Like, I think my best stat on the overviews like 80th

and the strobe scan approach, like all my stats are between 80th and 130th. But obviously I think I'm playing well. They're all like .02 or whatever. I've never looked at huge at looking at stats and stuff, but I was joking around that dude, I suck at, I'm really just getting lucky. But obviously joking, but I think a big key for me is just keeping my driver and my long stuff in the fairway. I've had all my best tournaments where I've driven it well and I think there's a heightened importance on that too, out on tour versus mini tours in college, even corn fairy. I was able to get away with kind of spraying and praying. But luckily I've always been long enough, long levers and stuff.

And so distance has never been that big of a... I'm not by any means like a bomber, but cruising like 74 to 76 ball speed and hit it far enough. So the big thing is just to try and get it on the fairway. And I've definitely been making some strides in that part of my game. So I'm feeling good moving for you. It's just a matter of you, you just never know when you're going to get hot in this game and just looking for the for everything to kind of click. I mean, yeah, your stats are astonishing into how close to zero you are in strokes and everything everything. Which is, I mean, if you're gonna sit here and tell yourself that I'm still getting there in terms of, you know, do I belong out here

and things like that? You're quite literally tour average and almost everything. I think that's one really validating thing, and it's also volatility is great in ProGolf, right? If you have the capability for really strong peak weeks that in your baseline is, you know, quite literally right at average, you're doing everything well.

I feel like that's a good place to start from from your, you know, your rookie year out on tour. I agree. And one of the fun things is my putting, which like everyone who knows me has played with me, they're like, that's the best part of my game. And I think statistically it's actually Sturks game. It's a worse part of my game this year. And like you said, I just chalk it up. So there was a couple of events that I missed a cut out where it was like three weeks, like Bay Hill, I've never played on greens like that. I couldn't even put my putter on the green. It was so slidey.

I think I lost like nine shots in two rounds on the greens. So it was weeks like that that definitely hurt the stats. Yeah, it's just funny looking at it. I'm just like literally my best stat is 80, but my worst stat is like, I don't know, it was funny looking at it. Yeah, you can get lost in the sauce a little bit there, but it's also, it's gotta be, you know,

you can kinda come home from certain weeks and be like, do those greens, we're not great for me. Maybe that's not a course I'll have on my rotation, blah, blah, blah, and kinda throw them out as well. So, well, actually last question. I read this in your transcript and it is not, does not work when you read it out loud because it's literally a phonetic thing. Sahif or Sahif because I've heard it either way.

So actually neither. Oh god. It's Sahif. Sahif. Okay. Yeah. They don't say that on TV. But the first one was close. I know they don't say that on TV. First of all, it's close.

I know. And I've said it so many times, but it's okay. I'm honestly, like, the whole name thing, it was my fault because early on, I would say Saehith, but nobody could get it. They would just say, so to save trouble. And for me, I'm like, I'm done dealing with that. I was like, yeah, I'm so he. So I introduced myself as that till I was like in high school.

And then I was like, I should probably try and fix it. But like it hasn't caught on that well. I don't feel as bad. If you're saying that, then I don't feel nearly as bad for you. I was 100% my, yeah. My parents were like, what are you saying? Yeah, saw it.

You got it. All right, now we got it. Now the golf fans have it. So are we going to let you go, man? I It's gonna be awkward if we release this next week and you and Bo go out and win this week and we I didn't ask you about it But I got sneaky feeling about you guys this week. So have we got we got some good vibes for sure We got some good vibes. I feel really good about this week both both the man and

We both been on the upswing. So I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. Get the right club. Be the right club today. Yes! That is better than most.

How about in? That is better than most. Better than most. Expect anything different? I expect anything different.