THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 15, 2026

Sudarshan Yellamaraju

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. Just sum up your week and how you're feeling right now.

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Tired. It was a long week. I'm pretty happy with the way, how it went. Obviously to kind of grind to make the cut, and then I just kind of wanted to play the best golf I could on the weekend. I think I kind of exceeded what I thought I could do.

I believe I can do that, but we have to do it first to kind of say, okay, I did that. So yeah.

Q. What were your expectations coming into the week?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: I mean, obviously as a rookie, you think, okay, you just see what you can do. I always want to go and win every tournament, but that's not realistically possible. I just wanted to play one shot at a time, play the best golf that I could. I stayed patient. I fought until the very end and never gave up, and that's all I could wish for.

Q. You were getting a lot of support from some of the crowd on 17. What was that experience like?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah, it was awesome. Kind of starting yesterday when I had that run of birdies, the crowd kind of cheering me on, keeping me motivated even when I was kind of feeling a little tired or losing energy. And then today, same thing, just on 17 that was pretty cool and I kind of just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Q. Was there ever a moment when you went from, hey, let's have a good week, to, hey, let's go out and try to win this?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Well, I never thought I was going to have a chance to win, to be honest. I would have to do something miraculous, and I almost did.

I just wanted to play one shot at a time and play the best golf I could because this course is so tough and you've just got to stay patient and just keep grinding.

Q. As you logically look at this, what does a top 10 here do for your maturation to become the player you want to be?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah, I know I can compete and contend, and I have a lot of belief in myself, but that results-based confidence is something you can't match. Once you do something, you know you can do that or better. Obviously wherever I finish, I know I can do that, and then kind of move up from there.

Q. Do you have an extra set of eyes? Does someone look at you when you try to maintain or improve your golf swing?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: My dad, once in a while. He doesn't travel as much to events, so honestly, it's a lot of myself. Maybe just ask my caddie a little bit and that's about it. If I'm just practicing by myself, it's just me and I'm just feeling it out.

Q. Why have you never used a swing coach? I know you learned how to play on YouTube, but --

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: I mean, that's how I wanted to play the game. At least for me, I practice so much. It's not easy to have a coach kind of be there with you for however many hours in a day, right, every single day. My dad would be the one that would be pretty much there kind of seeing what he can do to improve in the game. It was a lot of trial and error, so we had to kind of learn and figure out what worked for us.

I feel like for me, what I feel is what I feel. At the end of the day, you've got to go play golf and just play what you can.

Q. Watching videos of Tiger and Rory and Adam Scott, how does it feel to be out here competing against Adam and Rory now?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah, it's pretty cool, for sure. I think sometimes I don't -- I think I don't realize, I still don't feel like I realize I'm out here because I'm so focused on just playing.

But I think this week with the fans and kind of the whole atmosphere, it kind of sunk in a little bit more for sure.

Q. Who did you watch to learn how to putt?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Everybody. I mean, like I said, Tiger is a great putter. I just watched anybody. Again, putting is a feel, so whatever works for you is what works for you. There's so many ways to putt, as we've seen. I just kind of figured out what works for me.

Q. I was reading that you moved when you were four for your dad's job. What does your dad do or what line of work are your parents in?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Well, he works in IT. That was kind of the reason we moved there. Eventually when we moved to Mississauga that was partly to do with his job, but also kind of with my growth and my game, because Winnipeg is pretty cold during the winters. Playing three months actual golf, give or take. It's not that easy. Then obviously competition and stuff like that. So yeah.

Q. Yesterday you were talking about the podcasts you like and things like that, but I think a lot of fans, even some media are going to be learning about you for the first time this week. What would you like them to know about you, other than the golf stuff?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: I mean, I think results have kind of shown I'm not someone who kind of packs it in. I never give up. I'm very resilient. That's what I think of myself. I'll let the fans or media say what they want to say about me.

Q. Where does the resilience come from? Is that a natural thing, come from one of your parents?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: I don't know. I said on Friday, I think I can kind of never forgive myself for kind of giving up. I feel like, you know, when I'm so invested in this thing -- it doesn't matter what you do, it could be anything you do in life, but especially talking for myself, I'm so committed and 100 percent willing to play this game that what's the point in trying to -- there's no excuse to not have focus for, whatever, the four or five hours that you play, especially if this is your job and this is what you want to do.

I guess that's where it comes from. I'm grateful to be here. That's the thing. What's the point in just kind of not being resilient and just kind of giving up.

Q. What's been the best part of your game this week?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Everything. I mean, obviously I had some bad shots during the first couple rounds or today or yesterday, but you know, this course is so tough, everything has to be really good. You've got to drive it well. You've got to hit good approach shots, chip it well, putt it well. Everything was pretty good. That's kind of what this course requires.

Q. You played at an indoor facility as a kid?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah, well, in Winnipeg it was the golf dome, yeah.

Q. Rental clubs the first few years?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah.

Q. What were they like?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Obviously steel shaft, too long, these tiny heads. Just obviously not anything fitted for me, so I had to get something closer to what I could use very quickly.

Q. You shot 101 the first tournament round?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yep, my first ever 18 holes ever.

Q. That was the last time you shot 100?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yep, hopefully never shoot 100 again.

Q. How old were you then?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Nine.

Q. Since you know your swing better than anyone, what would you say you generate -- are you able to generate power from?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Adrenaline. I feel pumped to be out here. I just try to keep my body loose. I do a lot of stretching to get ready, do a lot of recovery work, so I guess that helps. Being young, that helps.

I don't know. I just kind of swing it, to be honest. Sometimes my swing gets a little too long and I have to kind of shorten it, but that's what I feel like my swing produces that power a little bit more. So yeah.

Q. Is it basically just Joel videoing your swing when you guys look at it?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Yeah, either Joel or if I'm just practicing by myself I'll just have a tripod and I'm looking at it. I'll sometimes look at it. I kind of look at certain aspects. Obviously, like I said, I want to keep still the feel of the game. When you're on the range, you're just trying to hit stock shots straight, but on the course you're not going to be able to do that every time. So yeah.

Q. Did you have a favorite player to watch growing up?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Tiger. Tiger Woods.

Q. How good was your dad?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: At golf? He doesn't play golf, so he doesn't know --

Q. Not at all?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Well, I mean, he literally plays once a year, if anything.

Q. Where does your ability come from?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: I don't know. I just watched on TV. The story is out there, but I watched on TV and it was just something that fascinated me, and I just got into it. Like I said, me and my dad, we kind of learned the game together, and that's kind of what the journey has been.

Q. And you progressed faster than he did?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Well, I guess so.

Q. If he doesn't play, what kind of advice can he give you on your swing?

SUDARSHAN YELLAMARAJU: Well, he played cricket growing up, so they're similar characteristics, the kind of weight transfer and those things. Like I said, we watched videos of different players. We see what they do. He kind of sees, okay, if this person is doing this and I'm maybe not doing this way and I'm hitting this direction or whatever, maybe try something else. Like I said, it was a lot of trial and error. We tried different things that felt good, but eventually when you're out on the course it maybe didn't work, and you're like, okay, got to go back and see what can work for me.