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CIALIS WESTERN OPEN

June 30, 2004

Mike Weir

LEMONT, ILLINOIS

TODD BUDNICK: We thank Mike Weir for joining us. Mike has had some very good success here, three top 3s, 2nd in 99 and two T3s in 01 and 03. Talk about, to start out with, your success here.

MIKE WEIR: Back in 99 was my first really good finish actually where I actually contended and had a chance to win and it was really my first time at center stage trying to win a golf tournament. I've got a lot of great memories of this golf course, and the past few years I've played well and had another couple of chances.

I'm looking forward to the challenges here, the golf course is a little bit different, a few good changes out there, so hopefully I can get in the mix of it again.

TODD BUDNICK: You mentioned the changes. There were just a few modifications. You just finished playing. Talk a little bit about those.

MIKE WEIR: I think the old No. 2, the way we're playing it now is a better hole. It's a more difficult hole, it's tougher to stop that ball on the green, and more challenging around the green maybe than the other No. 2.

The changes to the other two holes are okay. I still feel like No. 9 should be moved up a bit so it is a risk-reward hole. Now you're just going to see a bunch of wet shots.

I don't know, I think the other hole is okay, No. 5. I'd like to see 9 up in my opinion up so you have some guys going for the green, but the way it stands right now, you'll just see guys laying it up in that area and hitting wedge shots, so it won't be as exciting for the fans hopefully. Maybe there will be in a few days.

TODD BUDNICK: State of your game, 14th on the Money List, defended your championship at the Nissan Open and coming off a T4 at the U.S. Open. Talk about that.

MIKE WEIR: It's coming around. I've been working really hard from March on until now, making a few changes. I struggled for a couple months, but some things are starting to come around. I had a 4th at the U.S. Open a few weeks ago, which was a good sign. If I could have just putted better, I would have been maybe a little bit more in contention than what I was, but still, it was a good finish and my game is feeling pretty good.

Q. Would you go for it if it was up a little bit on No. 9?

MIKE WEIR: It's always been a hit-or-miss shot because when the tee is up you still have to fit it in that area, and with the way the green is and the bunkering and the rough, even if you're within the distance, it makes you think because if you short-side yourself, the way the green is going, it's extremely fast, it's no bargain to get it up-and-down. It plays with your mind about what to do on your second shot there. I've always thought it's been a great second shot there, playing with the player's mind, should I go for it or lay it up. Now the decision is taken away for most of the field. There might be a few guys, super long guys, but the wind conditions and everything has to be right for them to be able to do is that.

Q. No. 5 -- (inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I think that's okay. I mean, now, today I hit a 6-iron in and we had a little bit of help, wind. If it's into the wind it's going to be a heck of a hole to drive it in the fairway and try and hit a long iron or fairway wood into that green. I think that hole is okay.

Q. When you weren't playing your best, what type of things did you work on?

MIKE WEIR: Quite a few things. I could spend a lot of time, but just some technical things in my swing that I wanted to work out a little bit.

Q. Tempo wasn't there?

MIKE WEIR: Not tempo, it was more technical, positioning more.

Q. With the British Open coming up, how does the British Open suit your game, and didn't you say a couple of years ago that that would be probably one of your best chances for another major championship?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I've always felt like that. I don't have to adjust my game very much there. I don't hit it very high, I hit it kind of low, so that's what you're usually trying to do over there is keep the ball down under the wind. That's what you have to do over there.

It's not about overpowering the golf course at the British Open, it's about positioning and having a good short game and good imagination around the greens, and I've always felt like that would be good for me. While I haven't had results to show for it there, I always felt like I should play well there, and hopefully this year's golf course will suit me well.

Q. Do you know anything about Troon?

MIKE WEIR: I don't. The only thing I know is the first nine holes going out tend to be with the wind and you can get some scoring done, but on the way in, if the wind is back the other way, it's not -- it's nine holes out and nine holes back in, it's kind of survival on the way back in, really difficult coming back.

Q. Speaking of the Open, after coming off Shinnecock, which was a links-style course, does that help in any way to prepare for Troon or was the setup just so different?

MIKE WEIR: I think it does. I think it helps everybody who plays at the U.S. Open going into the British because it's very firm, fast, you're playing a lot of bump-and-run shots, so I think it'll help.

Q. The setup here might be a little bit different than in the past. Does it change your mindset, change your approach at all to how you go about your rounds?

MIKE WEIR: That will be interesting to see. It probably will because of par 71, but the overall 270 or something, whatever it might be, might be right around the same, so I don't think that's going to change very much, even though part of the golf course has changed, depending on -- it all depends on the weather, how the golf course pans out. The greens right now are fairly soft and not really fast yet, but I suspect they'll get a little firmer and faster as we go along.

Q. One more question about the British. Do you have a personal philosophy on playing a tournament versus practicing the week before a major and especially with the British kind of a different style of golf that you have to get ready for?

MIKE WEIR: For me for the British I like to go over early and play some golf and just play some rounds. I haven't played a competitive tournament the week before going over there. That's an option sometime I might do. Right now I just go with some friends and we play golf in the area, just kind of get used to playing in the wind, keeping the ball down and playing bump-and-run shots.

They don't do a lot to the golf course to kind of -- it's kind of what you see earlier in the week is kind of what you're going to get. They don't keep the greens super fast over there because the wind is such a factor. At the last major that we played, it gets crazy. They seem to keep it -- whatever the members are playing, we same to play the same thing.

Q. Is that something you have to adjust to, playing slower greens when you get over there?

MIKE WEIR: You know, you play extra practice rounds. That's why I like to get over early, get a feel for it.

Q. You rank really high in putting statistics. Did putting always come pretty easy to you or did you have to work at that?

MIKE WEIR: I've always been a pretty good putter. I think given my size and not hitting the ball very far, even as a kid growing up, I was always chipping and putting to try to beat the guys. That's still a little bit of my game now. I can't overpower golf courses. I just have to putt my way around and do it with my wedges and short game, and that's what I have to allow for.

Q. If you had to give one putting tip if you were teaching, what would it be?

MIKE WEIR: Well, are you trying to get a tip here (laughter)?

Q. I'm doing a story on putting in general.

MIKE WEIR: Probably rhythm is a good thing. When I'm putting my best, I try not to make too much of a big deal of a putt. I just try to get in there and try to get a good feel and a good rhythm and not try to make it, if that's makes sense, just try to do the same thing every time. It's really about rhythm each and every putt.

Q. You talked about the front nine at Troon being relatively easy. When you're playing that kind of a course, do you feel like you've got to have some shots in your pocket going out on the front nine when you have a back nine that's more difficult?

MIKE WEIR: I know what you're saying. That's just what I've heard. I haven't seen the golf course, but from what I've heard, you can get 3, 4, 5-under par. On the front nine if you have the right wind you can drive some of the par 4s, which I've heard, but obviously at a British Open, if you don't drive it where you want to and you end up in these pot bunkers, you're hitting out sideways and an easy hole turns into a hard hole. You take what the golf course gives you and go from there. Even if you don't get a score on the front, you maybe hit some great shots on the back nine.

Q. The PGA Championship is in six weeks. That's also a links style course. I don't know if you've had a chance to see it. Do you feel like it's a good opportunity to play a links style course?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it's a little bit fun this year that we played three links courses in a row, or we're going to play three links courses in a row in the last three majors. From what I've heard, the golf course is really difficult there, Whistling Straits, a lot of fescue, deep rough. I'm excited to go there. I wish I could give you an opinion on it but I haven't been there yet.

TODD BUDNICK: All right, thank you, Mike.

End of FastScripts.

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