HONDA CLASSIC

February 26, 2023

Eric Cole

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Eric, I know you're disappointed right now, but what a week. If we can just get on comments on what's going through your mind.

ERIC COLE: Yeah, sure, no. It was a great week overall. I played three really good days of good ball-striking and then today, especially on the front nine. My ball-striking wasn't where it needed to be. I felt like I hung pretty tough, and I was really proud of that. I played as hard as I could.

I'm disappointed in the result, but it is what it is. Chris played great all day. Congratulations to him, and I was trying my best, but I can't wait to get back in that environment again. It was a lot of fun.

Q. The last putt, take us through that. That was a good one.

ERIC COLE: Yeah, it was a good putt. The sun is going down, so you can't see maybe as well as you could when it was not as late in the day. But I hit a really good putt and just kind of caught that top edge. I must have hit it just barely too hard to take the break. But I hit a good putt, and I was proud of that.

Q. Was it shocking the putt didn't go down?

ERIC COLE: I don't know. I mean, it's still a -- I don't know what it was, 15-footer or something like that. But I did -- when I looked up after I hit it, it looked like it was pretty good, and then as it got closer, it looked even better, and then I think it was just carrying a little too much speed to take the break.

Q. 15th TOUR start and to be in the heat like that on a Sunday, what do you learn about yourself on a week like this?

ERIC COLE: Well, I loved it. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait to get back and do it again. Like I said, I didn't have my best stuff today, and I was proud of how hard I fought. Kind of stayed in it there on the back nine.

Q. Is that kind of in your character to fight like that? They had Sam on the telecast. He said you're a great scrambler.

ERIC COLE: Yeah, I mean, I'd like to think that. I think that's a good quality in somebody, so I'd like to think that I grind pretty hard and I try really hard.

I'd like it if people said that about me.

Q. I imagine it's such a positive week; what is the mix between knowing it was a really good week and not having a trophy?

ERIC COLE: Yeah, I mean, like I said, if you would have given me a chance to win the tournament in a playoff on Wednesday night, I think I would have taken that, obviously. It's overall a positive. There's a lot that I can learn from it.

Like I said, I had a lot of fun. I was proud of the way I played, and I can't wait to get back in that position.

Q. I walked up 18 with your mom, and she was just telling me about the year you've had and just coming from KFT to here. How does it feel watching yourself compete, play in a playoff, but then also everything you've been through to make it to this point?

ERIC COLE: Yeah, it's a long road. Even before Korn Ferry TOUR, I played a lot of tournaments all over the place.

But yeah, it's one of those things where if you play good golf, it kind of takes care of itself. Like I said, I was just so happy to be out there today.

Q. What do you credit this success to? You just got engaged, you have your family here. What do you credit this day to?

ERIC COLE: I think it's probably all of it. I'm in a good spot. My fiance and I live 30 minutes from here, so got to stay at home and spend time with our dog and some stuff that I don't get to do on a weekly basis, so that was nice, and I think that probably had me in a good mood probably.

Q. What's your biggest takeaway from this week?

ERIC COLE: I think it's just two things. I've said it a couple times already, but just how hard I fought not having my best stuff today and how much fun it was being in that moment. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to do it again.