What He Said: Nicholas Thompson

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Q. Nicholas, you start the day nine back, and then you bogey the 1st hole so you're ten down when the leader is still having breakfast. Where is your mind, where is your head, just saying just keep plugging and something might happen?

THOMPSON: My head was on really good today. I played really good, and I knew today was going to be a tough day. I knew it was going to get a little easier as the day went on, but I knew it was going to be a tough, grind-it-out type day, and that's where I usually play well.

Q. You stuck it to within a foot at 4, three feet at 5, you made a putt at 6, then you're starting to think something might happen?

THOMPSON: I just kept on trying to execute good golf shots, that's what I did. I kept on executing good ones, and I had a lot of good opportunities.

Q. I saw you were watching the scoreboard. You knew where you were throughout the round. What did you think after you rolled the one in at 11 for eagle?

THOMPSON: You know what, I'm not so much watching the scoreboard to see where I am. I'm a numbers person, and that's why I watch scoreboards. No matter whether I'm at the top or the bottom, I watch them.

After 11 I felt like I had some really good momentum, and unfortunately I had a little bit of a rough next hole. I hit a good drive that came three yards from carrying the bunker and I had to chip out. But all in all, I played a really good round of golf today.

Q. You had a big finish at Zurich about three weeks ago, now a good finish here. Where is the confidence level as you get into the heart of this season, first big season on TOUR?

THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, being my second year out, I feel a lot more comfortable. I've played most of the golf courses, and I'm playing good. I mean, I'm making a lot of cuts, and even if I'm not contending, I'm still moving myself up the leaderboard.

Q. And you're in the top 50 already in FedExCup points. Good luck to you as you head down the road.

THOMPSON: Thank you very much.

Q. How did you manage to put together a 67 in these conditions?

THOMPSON: You know what, I mean, where I play at home, where I live, we get high winds all the time. So it wasn't so much different. The only difference is it was about 25, 30 degrees colder. But I'm kind of used to the wind; I'm a wind player. I mean, when you hit the ball really solid, the wind doesn't affect it as much.

Q. Are you surprised by the move you made today?

THOMPSON: No. When I saw weather.com last night, I said, you know what, 70, even par for me, 1-over, could get you really close to the top 10.

Q. Speaking of top-10s, this is going to be your third top-10 this year. Are you through the growing pains, do you think?

THOMPSON: Yeah, I think I got through the growing pains my first year, and then I learned a lot, and now I'm ready.