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FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

February 8, 2015

Charles Howell III

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Q. You have to be pleased. That was a terrific round. 68, very solid on a tough day.
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Yeah, this golf course is hard on calm days and the wind picked up today and especially those holes coming in. The back nine starting at 14, it's got a lot of teeth in it today. I think there's more rough than when I played the U.S. Open here in 2008. The greens are bouncy, maybe not quite as firm as they were that week, but they're a lot bouncier than we're used to seeing them here. So it's got plenty of teeth today.

Q. I know you wanted to pose 9-under and I know you were disappointed with that third shot that spun back but you gave yourself a chance?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I got some history on that hole that isn't kind. I would be lying if I said I didn't think about that. But, yeah, I would have liked a little better -- I would have loved to have made four there. But me and that hole, we have a past.

Q. Does 8-under maybe get you in a playoff do you think?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I don't think so. I think it will probably be one or two short. Just simply because the tees are up on 16 a bit and then 17, fairly birdieable hole and then 18 is reachable from where the tee box is today. I just didn't drive the ball in the fairway there. I will probably be one or two short.

Q. (No microphone.)
CHARLES HOWELL, III: It becomes a par-5 really fast when you drive it in the lip of a bunker. But I made a nice three on 13. 13 was playing shorter than 12 and one is a par-5 and one is a par-4. So, yeah, I had 7-iron into 13 in two. Which, had I hit the fairway on 12, I probably would have had 4-iron in. So it kind of shows you the difference. But nice to do that. I made a nice par up-and-down par at 15, but just couldn't get the one at the last. Probably be one or two short.

Q. We don't know what's going to happen here, but you had close calls here. You mentioned your history with 18 there. How do you feel about -- you must really have a feeling about Torrey Pines?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I love the golf course. It's different than a lot we play, in that par's a good score. The rough is really, really thick. I can't really think off the top of my head of a regular event, non-Major, with thicker rough than this. Par's a heck of a score. Look what may win the golf tournament. 9- or 10-under. That's a far cry from what we're used to seeing. I happen to like that. Yeah, I just like it here because a par is really rewarded.

Q. When you hit on 18, what were you thinking?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I thought it landed in the right spot, to be honest with you. I thought I did. I thought the ball probably would have spun back a little bit. I was surprised it came back that far, as firm as the greens are. In years past, obviously, we know to expect it, but as firm as they are now, I thought I landed that ball in the right spot, but, oh well.

Q. How do you feel about where your game is right now? The fact that you got in the mix this time.
CHARLES HOWELL, III: It's nice to be back in the mix. If you asked me earlier in the week how my game was, I would have said average. My scoring hasn't been very good over the past, let's call it month. So, I was spending a lot of time this week on my short irons, wedge, putting, etcetera. But I was just -- I'll be honest with you, I was really happy to be back in the mix and feel that again. The last time I won a golf tournament feels like two life times ago. So, I can't even, I know the date, and then I'm really aging myself, so.

Q. Do you want to know how many starts it is?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Oh, it's been quite a few.

Q. 233.
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Yeah, so.

Q. But you had a lot --
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I've been there for all of them, yeah. No, I've had a lot of seconds, but, yeah, not to echo what people say, but it's really hard to win out here. On top of that these young players are extremely good. I can show you some gray hairs to show you I'm not young. So, it's, you know, I played with a kid the other day who said he was born in 1990. I mean, it's just incredible. It's just amazing. And they're ready to win at such a young age. A lot of people of my generation are used to getting our heads bashed in by Tiger, where these guys don't really seem to be afraid of anything and they come out ready to win. Ala Justin Thomas here and Jordan Spieth and whatnot. So it motivates people in my age group, for sure. You know, we're balancing a family and kids and all that, but still working hard on your game. Where Tiger used to be the motivating factor, these young kids are now.
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