Q. How would you characterize that round today?
PATRICK CANTLAY: It was a grind out there with the wind the way it was. The golf course plays really hard when it's blowing 20. I thought I played well. All in all, a good round.
Q. What was the toughest part about the wind today?
PATRICK CANTLAY: It's just really tough controlling your distance. It's kind of swirly. It's up and down. It's not necessarily blowing a consistent direction. So just picking the right shot and committing to it was really my game plan. I thought I did it, all in all, pretty well today.
Q. Do you focus more on keeping it low on a day like today off the tee, or what's your strategy in that regard?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, if it's into the wind, for sure. Definitely when you're playing into the wind or any crosswinds, it's better to flight it. When it's downwind, you actually try and get it up in the air a little bit.
Q. Was there a hole that played particularly tough today with the conditions would you say?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, 4 was pretty difficult straight into the breeze, and when I was on that hole it was blowing pretty good in our face. Usually I don't hit 4-iron in there, but I did today.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
PATRICK CANTLAY: I hit it way left, so I was in the rough punching out. I think I hit 5-iron.
Q. How abrupt is the difference between how damp it was at the beginning of the week and I would assume with the sun and the wind everything looks like it's getting quicker, things are rolling out. How much change have you noticed just in 24 hours?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I'd say it's still fairly soft. The greens are pretty receptive. I'm sure it'll dry out a little bit this afternoon, but given the morning tee time, it's pretty soft out there.
Q. Over the years a lot of fans after tee-offs have said a lot of random things out there. What are your thoughts on that or are you just too locked in when you're out there?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I don't hear too much of it. I'm sure they are, but when I'm out there, I'm just so focused on the golf.
Q. Where does wind rank as far as being a pain, with other conditions out there?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think wind definitely makes it the most challenging because it's hard to get your golf ball into the right spot. Especially when it's a wind like today where it's a little inconsistent and really strong at times. But rain is probably more annoying because you have to do more to keep everything dry.
Q. It seemed like some of the guys on the range early in the morning who had early-morning tee times were a little bit surprised with the severity or the amount of wind. Were you aware or was there talk in the locker room that today was going to be what you ended up facing?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, ever since I walked outside, it was blowing pretty good, so I figured it was going to be like that all day. That was the forecast, so I wasn't surprised.
Q. You were one of the guys to get an exemption here, a lot of guys out here have, and have elevated into some of the top golfers in the world. What are your recollections of that first time here and the difference from then to now?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it's so great to see this tournament evolve over the years. It's become one of the best tournaments on TOUR. I know speaking for a lot of the guys, we really look forward to coming this week. It doesn't feel like 14 years ago that I played my first one, but it's been real cool to see how much better the golf tournament has got each and every year.
Q. Do you remember nerves that first time out here, or are you so far past that in your career --
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, anytime you tee it up you've got some nerves or adrenaline, but that's the best part about what we do.
Q. How much are you relying on Joe on a day like today with the wind, and what's it like having him on your bag on a weekly basis?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it's great. Joe is rock solid out there, and I'm very lucky to have him on the bag.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports