FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 2024

Eric Cole

TPC Southwind

Quick Quotes

Q. Start with the day. What did you think you needed to do, and what was it like getting off to that start?

ERIC COLE: No, I didn't have any number in mind or anything like that. I did not play well yesterday at all tee to green. Wasn't really -- didn't have too high of expectations for today.

Starting off like that kind of got me going for sure, and then just tried to keep hitting good shots, one after the next, and see where it put me.

Q. What is it like when there's so much golf ahead and you don't know how the day is going to wrap up? What's it like trying to track the bubble?

ERIC COLE: I think it's a cool thing that this FedExCup kind of provides. There's drama. You don't really know where you're going to be. It's going to be kind of fun to sit back in the AC and watch them come down the final stretch.

Q. Do you hammer the refresh button or do you ignore it?

ERIC COLE: I'll probably do it. I bet my caddie will do it more than me, but I'll probably look at it quite a bit.

Q. Then 18, can you just walk through the tee shot?

ERIC COLE: I was trying to not bail out to the right. I was trying to kind of take a little bit of a stronger line and just hit a bad shot. Just hit it off the toe. Obviously went in the water.

I was proud of not trying to be too aggressive with the next one, which was kind of easy to do, try and push it up by the green. I was really proud of laying it back and having a full wedge, and ended up getting that one up-and-down.

Q. What were you thinking as you stood over the ball before you hit your putt and as it went in?

ERIC COLE: I was just trying to make it. Hit the best putt I could. I knew it was going to be close with whether you're going to be in the top 50 or not, and all I can do is read it the best I can and hit the best putt I can.

Q. Off your hot start on the first three holes, going 4-under, did it give you confidence to be more aggressive chasing a low number?

ERIC COLE: Yeah. Like I said, I hit it really badly yesterday, so I didn't really know what to expect today. Then to come out, really hit a lot of good shots early, made me feel good and kind of just kept trying to keep that feeling going as long as I could.

Q. From a wider perspective, what kind of confidence can you draw from delivering when your back was against the wall on the bubble?

ERIC COLE: Yeah, I think the way I played holes, let's say, after the 3rd hole with that hot start, once I realized it could be a good day, I was proud of that, not to get ahead of myself or anything like that and stay in the moment, and kept trying to hit good shots on top of each other. It's definitely a confidence booster.

Q. Logistically how does it work? Do you start the week with two flights, one home and one to BMW?

ERIC COLE: Well, I had no flight until I played so poorly yesterday, I booked a flight home. I've got a flight at 2:00, but I don't think I'm going to get on that one. I'll just watch it and maybe book another flight.

Q. Do you expect to lease a private jet to Colorado?

ERIC COLE: No, that's not me.