ADVIL WESTERN OPEN

July 7, 2001

Mark Wiebe

MARK WIEBE: Yeah, you know, I told my wife last night I'd love to get to double digits. You know, maybe have a chance. I had no idea what the leaders were going to do. But after yesterday's round, 16 pars and two bogeys, I thought 10-under would be you know, double digits would be a good start. So I am happy with that. I kind of got off to a slow start, I bogeyed No. 4 and didn't really hit very good tee ball, hit a couple of good shots in there, but you know, just didn't hit it close. That rain delay I think maybe helped me a little bit. Took a little time off, went to the range before we went out, and worked on my alignment one more time on the range. And felt like when we went back out that I had a little bit of game. And I really played well after the rain delay. We were only on the 6th tee, but after that I really hit a lot of nice quality shots, so I don't like those rain delays but maybe that helped me today.

MARK WIEBE: You know, mentally it was -- I had a tough day. I hit 13 greens and I added it up with my son last night I think I missed one putt to the right and I had some tougher putts, no doubt they weren't as close. And I didn't have as many of those great birdie opportunities, but boy, everyone was left and I knew my putter was left, I have been fighting it and it's -- sometimes it's real hard when you are working with a line on a putter. That's what I am going with right now. It was just a tough day. I just couldn't get the ball -- for the life of me I couldn't get it to go in.

MARK WIEBE: Well if you let it be, I just didn't let it be a letdown. I just knew -- again I said this the other day, I am playing some good golf now. You know, I kind of put myself behind the 8-ball a little bit with backing up too much, but you know, I knew it was important to come in and if I can go out there and play some good golf, it was really neat to make my first birdie, I have got to tell you after not making any yesterday and then I bogeyed No. 4. I parred the first 3, bogeyed 4. I birdied 5 and I was ecstatic, just to have a birdie. And then I birdied 7 and then I had a really nice back nine, so as much of maybe a letdown as it was yesterday, I feel like I put myself back into semi-contention again today.

MARK WIEBE: What everybody else does actually.

MARK WIEBE: We went in -- let me see, I went into the players' dining, I sat with my family for a while. It was pretty warm because there's a lot of bodies in there. Then I just started doing laps from the locker room back to the dining room back to the locker room back to the dining room. Tried to stay loose because I know if I sit down too long my back will get tight. So just walked around and walked around, it is for a little bit, walked around, some guys eat, I drank a lot of Gator -- PowerAid, and tried to replenish because it was very warm this morning. And you know, just trying to kind of get away from the game a little bit because we have a break, but not too far away. You know, keep my head about, myself, and in my position I had a lot of golf to play. I was only on the 6th tee, so it's pretty boring though I have got to tell you. It is pretty hot.

MARK WIEBE: In this particular instance, I think it did, I really do. I felt a little bit unsure of myself. Even when we went back out to get ready to go back out again, my son was out on the range and my caddie -- I just did not feel right. And my caddie kept saying, it looks good. I said, it doesn't feel right. And you know, I started lining myself up just like I did with my putter made sure that my lines were where I think they should be, and boy, right at the end of my little warm-up, 30-minute warm-up I felt pretty good. I had to go right to the 6th tee which is 227 yards to the front. The pin was on whatever it was on, 240 something yard shot. You know, what a great time to go test if I was right or wrong. And I hit a nice shot - on the fringe of the green but I hit a nice shot. So that kind of set me up.

MARK WIEBE: I don't think if this course plays easy. The wind died down. It wasn't as strong. It was really hot, so maybe the ball started going a little farther. I don't know. I guess maybe it played a little easier after the delay just because the winds died down a little bit.

MARK WIEBE: I hit my rescue which is-- I hit it farther than a 3-iron and not quite as far as a 2-iron. But it has an attitude so sometimes I can supe it up and it is downhill there too, so, -- but on the range I was hitting a lot of rescues and 5 woods knowing that it was one of the two. When I went back out and when we got to the tee my caddie and I both thought that rescue was the better club.

MARK WIEBE: Yeah, it's funny, I was pretty discouraged after missing that, but I didn't miss it on the left. And that's -- after yesterday that was huge because I missed every one of those left-to-right putts way left. That kind of tells me even though I missed it that I was aimed pretty good. I misread the putt for sure. And it was great to come back and birdie 17 after that. That was a definitely uplift right there. I was 9-under and I thought if I can-- I got it in there close on 16 and get to 10-under and maybe get one of the last two, good for me. And it was great to birdie 17.

MARK WIEBE: No, I am just going to play and hopefully I can play like today and like the first round and somewhat yesterday. I hit the ball nice yesterday a lot too. I just -- I hope I can focus in and be prepared for anything, good or bad and handle it like a professional. Hopefully it will be on the good side and I can make a little run at whoever is leading and if not, like I said, outside it won't be for lack of effort. I will be trying as hard as I can tomorrow.

MARK WIEBE: I have no idea what people expect. I know I have four people back there that expect me to do well and I expect me to do well and my caddie expects me to do well. I don't know what people think and I really don't care. I am just going to play hard.