ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 6, 2026

Sahith Theegala

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round today?

SAHITH THEEGALA: It was kind of a tale of two nines. I hit it really, really well to start the front nine. I hit it awesome. Just couldn't convert on all my chances. I had a lot of looks, couldn't make 'em. And then the back nine, total opposite. Kind of hit it really poorly. I don't know what the stats say, but didn't feel like I had a lot of looks. Really scrambled great though. A lot of really nice up-and-downs, a couple of nice six, seven foot par putts. Just really held it together, which in some ways that back nine felt better, weirdly. But yeah, it was a great round, to go around this place with no bogeys. That putt on the last for sure meant a lot. It just leaves a sour taste. I mean, every golfer feels that way. But to bogey the last, I know it's really hard hole, but that was a big one to have too.

Q. Do you feel like the golf course is getting tougher and tougher each day?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, I think just the conditions are so perfect. It's 80, 85 degrees and I think the course was able to get a little bit of moisture from a couple passing clouds, which was big. I think that actually helps the grounds crew kind of really get the greens exactly how they want it. I mean this place is always so, so pure. I definitely see them letting it bake out this weekend. Not that they aren't already firm, they're already pretty firm. You're playing for a bounce on every single approach shot, even with a wedge. So, but, yeah, it's part of the reason why I love this place is just, it's straight carnage. But, yeah, these first few days were probably as good as scoring gets out here.

Q. The injuries last year, the five, six months you kind of lost that. Do you kind of feel like you're playing golf you were playing a few years back now?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah. I still feel like -- it's always, it's so tough to compare. I don't feel like my game is where it was two years ago. I felt like two years ago I was in contention a lot, putting myself with chances to win golf tournaments come the weekend. And I just got to stay patient. I know it's so early this year. But I've honestly been healthy for about six months now. The fall, I was healthy for the last four, five fall events. Just didn't quite get my speed back. I kind of had to like re-learn my body again, once it was healthy again. So I feel like I have a lot of improvement, which is great. I definitely have started the year off really well. But just doesn't feel quite as clean, quite as crisp as it did a couple years ago. We're trying not to really compare, but, yeah, it's, I think that's a big goal of mine. I feel, my body feels great. My game's definitely trending in the right direction. So the goal is just going to be if I can try and get in contention come the back nine on Sunday, that would be awesome. A big thing also is that I just can't force it. Just got to keep putting in the work and execute as best as I can, and whatever the results are, it will be. But it is really nice to see a couple nice results to start the year. But I will say, both of the top 10s that I had have been a little back door, so it's nice to kind of get into the weekend here near the top of the leaderboard.

Q. Does it show though that even though you don't feel as crisp as you are, that that, that the results are still there and that there is progress being made?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, for sure. For sure. I mean, I think anybody can just see just how I'm walking on the golf course. I'm not walking kind of wonky, as funny as that sounds. You can kind of tell how someone's feeling just by how they walk. I'm able to do a lot of the things that I see now. I'm a very visual player. Last year I wasn't able to hit a lot of the shots that I was even seeing. So, yeah, I'm just happy and I know good golf and a good body, can never take it for granted either. So I'm just going to try and stay as healthy as I can.