“Conversations With Champions presented by Sentry” a weekly series of Golfweek. This week: Sahith theegala, and Tom Hoge.
After being down two shots at the end of the first round, Theegala & Hoge won 2022 QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida.
Theegala hit 18 on his best drive and drilled a birdie to give him and Hoge an one-shot lead. Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer, who led after the second round, had both looked for birdie, but missed their putts.
After winning the 2022 QBE Shootout, here’s what the Theegala/Hoge duo had to say.
Q: By not birdieing 17, you guys made it difficult for yourselves to make it down the stretch. Did you guys have any conversation to go to 18 to get each other going?
Sahith Theegala (Non): I think we have been playing so well all week, and vying off each other. I mean, you can expect to have one or two holes that aren’t very good, and it just happened be 17. We’ve played well throughout the week. We only need two chances, and we had two. It was kinda unspoken, I believe that it was like let’s get this last hole.
Q: Tom, when you made that long birdie at the par-3 12th, I believe you were tied for the lead, or you got there for the first-time. Is it possible that you had a conversation about “let’s get, let’s play” or were you just trying to get into the fray and it turned on.
Tom Hoge: Our only conversation today was in scramble. We were about 5 to 12 under through 12, which is probably the worst start of any of the three formats. Although it was an issue, we were still playing well. You said that nothing needed to be said. Just move on to the next hole, and continue making birdies. You felt like you had got to birdie every hole because of the way the field was playing. So it was easy what we had.
Q. Sahith, tell me about the little problem that you had with the first.
ST: Yeah.
Q. What’s the deal?
ST: It’s funny. I was just telling my mom about how healthy I have been over the past four, five years. This is testament to Josh, my trainer. I have literally played every tournament almost 100 percent. On hole 1, my first swing, I hit it under and knew I had to save the thing. I pulled the left side of mine, it’s almost like my oblique. It’s not my back at all. It was my intention to relieve it by massaging my back. But as I continued to swing and inject adrenaline, the pain on the back nine got better. It’s much more comfortable now. It’s something that I just need to take off for three to four days. But I will take more. No worries.
Q. Speaking of adrenaline: That putt you hit on the last to make your birdie first, and force them into making theirs?
ST: That was great. It was great to be able to help a little. Tom really held me up all the way, he made so much big putts. It’s a testimony to Tom’s two great looks. Although I was a bit far away, I knew Tom had been playing well so it freed me up to feel like, “All right, let’s give the thing a great run.” It was so great to have that go in.
A birdie at last seals the deal @SRTheegala, win @QBEShootout pic.twitter.com/p6J2fx3TJG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR December 11, 2022
Q. How did you feel when it went in?
TH: It was great to watch, yes. It was a very interesting day. Although neither of us were at their best for 18 holes it was interesting to see how we managed to time it. After getting off to a good start to both nines, Sahith brought me home. We found that the combination of ham and eggs worked well and we were able to hole the putts on time.
Q: This is a rookie team. The only time a rookie team won is 2011, Keegan Bradley, and Brendan Steele. This excludes the first event in 1999. It is so meaningful for you guys that this was possible in your first round here.
ST: Thank you so much, it means a lot. We got along great out there. Both of us are very calm and level-headed and don’t get too excited. I think we both just benefited from each other’s energy. It was something we were discussing, and I believe our games are great for this type of partnership. Yesterday, Tom was stripping his irons and it was great in alternate shot. He left me many kick-ins for birdie and I was able get it down there a bit more than usual with my tee shots. It was just great. It was definitely a little bit of ham and eggs today, which is fantastic.
Q: It’s not an official win but it’s your first and you’ve already won this year. It’s a nice way to end the year, I guess.
TH: It was a lot of fun to be in contention. It doesn’t matter what you play for, it’s always great to get down the stretch there. This week was a great one. It’s beautiful outside, and I wanted to return so I was like, “We’ve got to win so hopefully we will come back in future.”
After winning the 2022 QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida, Sahith Theegala celebrates alongside Tom Hoge. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Q. What was your thought process as Ryan, 17, hit the chip back to him and then chip in it?
TH: You’re probably always expecting that. Charley had a great look and could have made birdie. It’s normal to expect that you will make birdies down the stretch. We were probably 32 to 33 under. It was almost like we had to birdie 17 or 18 to win the game. With the look of those two guys, Sahith putt. I was still expecting to play in a playoff. It was a great feeling to win that way.
Q: The 2022 season for you both has been a great one. What are your takeaways from the year, for each of you?
ST: Yes, that’s right. I just got my PGA Tour Card last year. My only goal was to keep it. It’s something I have repeated many times. My dreams didn’t really reach beyond getting a PGA Tour Card, so I wouldn’t lie if I said that I did not exceed my own expectations. It’s not something I really think about, but I just let it go and tried to enjoy the ride. It’s been an amazing year, and the cherry on top is this week with Tom. It’s been an amazing year, and I’m so grateful.
TH: My eighth year on Tour was a success. I look back and see that you can get into more situations such as today, where you are near the lead going down the stretch, which makes you more comfortable in the future. So, I was able put myself there several times this year and was finally able to win. That was a great feeling and it made today a lot easier. If you look at Sahith’s career, it is clear that he will be interviewing many of these winners in the future.
