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BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 26, 2004

Matt Weibring

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

TODD BUDNICK: All right, we welcome Matt Weibring to the Buick Championship media center after a 5 under 65. Matt, your first time playing in the Buick Championship here but you're no stranger to the course. I believe you were on your dad's bag in '96, I believe.

MATT WEIBRING: I wasn't on the bag. I was here, though. It's actually the only time I've ever been with dad when he won. My mom has been here a bunch, but I've only been here once, and this is where it was. He has been sick with Bell's palsy for four or five months, and his third or fourth tournament back, I think he had played Byron Nelson, Colonial, I think the tournament was early June, the old date, and this was his third tournament back, and he was lucky to be playing golf, and all of a sudden he got on a roll and got a W, so it was pretty cool.

TODD BUDNICK: And you, of course, then went out there today and shot 5 under and played pretty well yourself.

MATT WEIBRING: Yeah, I played good. I've been feeling pretty good with my game. I went out there and I hit really great shots on the first hole, hit two perfect shots and made a good par, then hit it close, four feet on 2 and made it, hit it close again, four, five feet on 3 and got off to 2 under really quick. I three putted from 30 feet on 40. I made a bunch of pars, some good pars, and hit it two feet on 9, made birdie.

10, I hit kind of a bad drive, hit it left, hit the trees and I had like 220. I chased it to the front of the green. It was kind of an iffy lie and it came out a little fat and I had about a 10 , 15 footer. I don't know how it didn't go in, but it missed. So I made bogey.

So I rolled off three in a row, all three birdie putts could total four feet. I kind of got it real close three holes in a row, and then I had 15, then three pars coming in. I made a good save for par on 18 out of the bunker. It was nice to finish with a par instead of a bogey.

TODD BUDNICK: This is just your third PGA TOUR event, played John Deere Classic in '02 and '03, spent last year on the Nationwide Tour. Give everybody an idea what you've been doing this year.

MATT WEIBRING: I've played some Nationwide Tour events this year and I've played a lot up Canada on the Canadian Tour. I've been playing pretty consistent, a lot of 20th to 30th, a couple Top 10s, nothing spectacular. I've been on the edge of shooting some really good, low scores, so it kind of happened at a good place.

I went to Australia for a month and played there in December. That was a cool experience. I'm just kind of probably going to Europe to maybe try to do something. Wherever they get me in, I'm going to play.

Q. Did you watch the leaderboards at all today and were you surprised where you stood?

MATT WEIBRING: I have no idea where I am. I didn't watch at all.

Q. Really?

MATT WEIBRING: Yeah. I've learned that's one thing I learned last year on the Nationwide Tour. Those leaderboards do not help you play better golf; it puts things in your mind. I tried to have a good time with my caddie, Chris O'Connell, one of my best friends who's caddying for me this week. I kind of knew I had a good round going the last couple holes, but I really don't know obviously it must be all right if I'm in here (laughter).

TODD BUDNICK: Corey shot 8 under, you're just behind him.

Q. Did your dad tell you anything about the course at all? I know it's been eight years since you've been here.

MATT WEIBRING: We talked a little bit about it, a little strategy like on holes like 13 and 15. Like 13 where you lay up and 15 what to do and where to chip from, a little bit there, but he thought it would be a good golf course for me because I usually drive it pretty good, keep it in play off the tee, and out here if you can get the ball in play on every hole, you've got a chance to score, but if you start missing fairways it's hard to make birdies.

We talked a little bit but not too much. He kind of thought I had it under control.

Q. Is your dad playing this week?

MATT WEIBRING: He is. He's in Oregon.

Q. On the three hole stretch there where you had the birdie putts that maybe totaled four feet, what did you hit into those holes and how long was each putt?

MATT WEIBRING: 11, I hit 8 iron a foot and a half.

12, I hit driver, pitching wedge to six inches. I tapped it in. I didn't even wait, just tapped it in.

I almost made it on 13, hit it a little short and it kind of spun back, and it was about a foot and a half, two feet left to the hole. I kind of clicked there for a little bit.

Q. What do you remember most watching you walked, what, the whole back nine with your dad the last day?

MATT WEIBRING: I walked every round for four days.

Q. Is there anything you remember most from that, from your experience?

MATT WEIBRING: I guess what stands out in my mind the most was I could be wrong, but I think he birdied it was kind of close and he closed great. He birdied 14, didn't birdie 15, hit a great shot 16, that's a hard par 3. I didn't realize how hard it was until I got there. But that pin was back right and he hit it about 15 feet below and made it. He hit it in the left bunker on 17 and he hit that 7 iron. That was a great shot to ten feet and he didn't even make it, but then he hit two great shots on 18 and birdied 18. I guess the shot on 17, but that was make or break. If he hits it on the green he kind of he's kind of got it won, but anything can happen. It can go in the water, make a double, then it's kind of a new ballgame. But to take that with the lip in the way is a good shot.

Q. Did you try that shot this week?

MATT WEIBRING: I didn't try it but I did walk in the bunker and look at it. He's going to be mad if I say this, but I was thinking to myself, "I can't believe he hit 7 iron because it's not that far." I hit 2 iron, 8 iron today and the ball wasn't going as far

Q. He was old, you know (laughter).

MATT WEIBRING: He was 43, 44.

Q. When you got an exemption to come play here, and leading up to this day have you thought about that weekend here and how special is it playing here?

MATT WEIBRING: I thought about it a little bit. You know, I think I've got good memories of seeing good shots here, so I think that helps. Last time I was here I've been here before that but I was real young so it's hard to remember, but when I was 16 I have real good memories of dad hitting those shots, so kind of in my head I had an idea what to do and what kind of shots to play. I was just trying to enjoy this situation, enjoy this opportunity, enjoy the moment of sitting here talking to you guys and my name on the leaderboard or whatever it might be and try to have fun with it, and tomorrow I'm going to go out there and try to keep my head down and have a good time with my caddie and try to hit shot for shot and try to do the best I can.

It's easy to say but it's hard if I can stay and not get caught up in what is actually happening, I think I'll be able to do all right.

Q. Will you talk to your dad before tomorrow?

MATT WEIBRING: Oh, yeah, I'll talk to him tonight. He's playing right now because they're three hours behind us, but I'm sure he knows what happened. I guarantee he does.

TODD BUDNICK: All right, thank you very much, Matt.

End of FastScripts.

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