Farmers Insurance Open transcripts: Erik Compton

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ERIK COMPTON:  This is the first part of the year.  You see why a guy like Tiger who has done this for so many years, why he's so good.  We're all thrown into this environment, and we're kids compared to him.

Even though I've experienced different kind of pressures, this was just you can't really assess how loud it is out here and all of the things that are going on, your adrenaline is going, and you have to learn how to do that.

Q.  Did you know you were in the Top 10?

ERIK COMPTON:  No, I didn't really look at scoreboards.  I just knew it was hard.  I knew every hole coming in on the back nine.  12 was playing like a par‑5, even though it was a par‑4.  I just knew that pars were your friend.

Q.  Does it feel like your game is going to a different level?

ERIK COMPTON:  Yeah, I think mentally my game is in a better place.  I know how to manage it and not grind it out.  Even though I make a double, I'm still able to come back, and every hole is a new hole.

I don't think I was necessarily a hundred percent with my swing this week.  It's sort of a stud fest out here.  You're hitting it in spots where you're not aiming at fairways.  The fairways are so small (Indiscernible) you're trying to muscle it out of the rough and get up‑and‑down when you have to.

Q.  How difficult was it out there today?  Obviously, the pace was slow and the wind was blowing.  It was cold.  How difficult was that?  When you're going through it, do you realize you're standing around ten minutes between every shot and all of that?

ERIK COMPTON:  I knew it was difficult for everyone.  But I think everyone would say it's very difficult when you have crosswinds and it's cold and you have to manufacture a shot.  I mean, you have to hit something that the ball is going to spin in the proper direction.

You're trying to muscle it through the wind.  I thought that was the hardest part.

Q.  Is it a little disappointing to just be out of the Top 10 by a shot?

ERIK COMPTON:  Yeah, it is.  What are you going to do though?  I made birdie on the last hole.  I guess it's better than a kick in the face (laughing).

Q.  (Indiscernible)?

ERIK COMPTON:  I think even if I got into next week's tournament, I was still going to take off.

Q.  So you might not have played next week anyways?

ERIK COMPTON:  No.  Got to see the family, man.

Q.  They'll be happy to see you.

ERIK COMPTON:  Yeah.

Q.  You struggled a little bit over there on the last hole (Indiscernible).

ERIK COMPTON:  Well, I thought when it got really, really windy, I tried out some new equipment this week, and I was a little handicapped with my 3 and 4‑iron.  I was trying to play my way around it.