MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 3, 2002

Mike Weir

TODD BUDNICK: Mike Weir, 10-under, 63, tied the course record set by David Duval set in 1999. Let's go ahead, 7-under 29 on the front. Go through those birdies.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, 7-iron into the 1st hole, about six feet, made that one.

A 3-iron on No. 2 to about a foot.

A 3-wood and a 9-iron -- 3-wood and a wedge to the 3rd hole to about two feet.

3-wood and a 9-iron to about three feet on 4.

Actually 3-putted No. 5, drive and a 5-wood open the back of the green.

6, hit a drive just off the edge of the green, 20 yards short of the green, chipped it probably four feet.

8, I hit a 5-iron to three feet.

9, I hit a 5-wood and a 5-wood to about 15, 18 feet for eagle, 2-putted, missed it.

10, I hit a 5-wood and a sand wedge to, you know, seven inches (laughter).

15, I made about a 7- 8-foot putt.

18 was about 14 inches.

Q. What did you hit in on 18?

MIKE WEIR: 7-iron. Driver, 3-wood, 7-iron on 18. The hole is playing a lot different.

Q. What do you take away from a round like this? As good as it is, I know you're happy with it, you're wondering how low it could have been?

MIKE WEIR: Absolutely. It's tough to assess how my putting was today. I had so many kick-ins. Never felt like I could get in a flow. When I had a 10-footer, felt like I was 30 feet. I didn't really roll my, you know, mid-range putts very well. Obviously, I'm not complaining at all.

Obviously, it could have really -- if everything really went absolutely perfect, in a perfect world, which isn't golf, but it could have been ridiculous really. Could have been 14 under or something if I just made, you know, a few ten-footers.

I don't want to sound like I'm whining. One of those days where my irons were dialed in, felt comfortable, hit it close to the level.

Q. What is your career?

MIKE WEIR: 10-under, Doral shot 62 last year. This is the same.

Q. Anything ridiculously low cross your mind when you got off 10? 59 is what I'm saying.

MIKE WEIR: Absolutely, absolutely. I'm not going to say I didn't. For sure it did. I was feeling so good. Again, I was 8-under through 10 with, you know -- unfortunately, I felt like I let that one get away on 5. When I was on No. 10, I was like, "Wow, could have been that little bit step closer to reaching that."

Hit it close on 11, 12, and 14. Those three holes right there, I had inside of eight, nine feet. Missed them all. If I could have maybe got one of those in. 16, as well. Probably eight feet on 16.

Q. Chip on 13.

MIKE WEIR: It was only from me to you. I left it two inches short, right in the middle there, too.

Q. What much carryover, if any, from the great finish you had? Does it carry over confidence-wise?

MIKE WEIR: I think so. No question, it does. You know, the thing that I was a little apprehensive about, I put a new set of irons in the bag. Working with TaylorMade to get a set of irons in the bag. When I did go in my after season, I went to Palm Springs to work with my coach for four days. Went over one day to finish off my irons in San Diego. They felt really good there.

Anytime you switch from equipment you've had success with to new irons, there's a little apprehension. Kind of cemented in my mind today that I did the right thing and had the best product that I can possibly use. I never hit that many shots close to the hole. That was a good feeling to do that, new set of irons.

Q. What irons had you used?

MIKE WEIR: TaylorMade 300s. I was using Hogan irons before.

Q. You tried the TaylorMades how many times?

MIKE WEIR: I put them in play one time at the PGA. Practice rounds, never did get them into play there. I used them in Vancouver, and the World Series I used them. They were different versions. We finally got it right.

Q. Were they pretty patient with you? Were you under pressure to start the year with them?

MIKE WEIR: Well, I was under a little pressure to get them in play by the beginning of this year. I think all the way around, we've been patient, both sides. It was a little frustrating at times. I think on both sides we were really patient to get the right stuff in there. When I used them, like I said, at the NEC, they didn't feel right. They had no problem with me going back to my old stuff because I wasn't comfortable.

Q. You had the Hogans at Houston Champions, right?

MIKE WEIR: Uh-huh, yup.

Q. What did you have, Apex?

MIKE WEIR: Apex Plus irons, yeah. Those are the irons I've been using the last couple years. These are better. They feel unbelievable.

Q. TaylorMade, my understanding, is next week at the Sony is going to have at pretty big count on the iron count.

MIKE WEIR: Are they? They're making a push.

Q. They're making a push?

MIKE WEIR: They are, absolutely. A lot of guys are getting in the irons, liking them. Guys out here won't switch unless they're something good. I think they're really making a push.

Q. Is this the third competitive round you've played with them?

MIKE WEIR: This is the first one, with this iron.

Q. First one?

MIKE WEIR: First one, yeah.

Q. How did you hit them in the practice round?

MIKE WEIR: I hit them well. Not that good (laughter). I shot probably about even par yesterday or maybe even over par yesterday. Just got a little better feel on the range today. It was better.

Q. Your impression of the conditions?

MIKE WEIR: The wind wasn't much of a factor early. It was nice getting through those first couple holes. When we were coming up No. 9, I saw where guys were driving on No. 1. That was quite a bit back of where Cameron and I early in the morning got it down to the bottom of the hill. I don't think in the afternoon you could do that.

For the most part, it played fairly easy. The wind kind of helped you almost, except 18 played difficult. Driver, 3-wood, 7-iron into that hole, where it's normally a hole we can reach. For the most part, wasn't much of a factor out there. It was a little bit, but wasn't strong enough like it can be.

Q. Had you dreamt of a 10-under after seeing what it was like yesterday?

MIKE WEIR: No, no. Absolutely not. You know, the way it was in the afternoon, I thought it would be blowing. You know, to shoot 10-under, as I said, the last round of golf I played on a golf course was the final round of Sun City, December the 4th or something. I haven't played. I haven't been on a golf course in a month, except for yesterday. Way above my expectations. That was way above my expectations.

Q. What have you been doing?

MIKE WEIR: Just been practicing. Just trying to work on my game really, just working on my short game around here. Spending some time at the beach. That's about it.

Q. Did you say this is the first competitive round in a month?

MIKE WEIR: Yes.

Q. You said last year you were willing to tinker with your shot routine a bit, modify it. Looks like you've undid that. Did that feel comfortable?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it did. I tinkered a little bit with it last year. I still have a few things in there that I need to iron out. But for the most part, it felt great not to waggle the club. I think I get a better transition at the top of my backswing into the ball, a little smoother off the ball which has helped. It's really helped my long iron game, I think, and my driver, as well. That's what I'm looking forward to this year is really driving ball much better than I have been.

Q. Do you advocate now, the less time you stand over a ball, feeling better rhythm throughout a shot, getting into the flow? Is there any difference there than the way it might have been before?

MIKE WEIR: Before, there was more time there because I waggled, kind of set the club, then kind of get settled in there. Before my swing was built on, you know, keeping my lower body very stable, keeping my swing I have short, dynamic really kind of fast. I wasn't very flexible. Now I'm starting to get more flexible. Now I can get behind the ball a little more and use kind of more of my body to generate club head speed. Before, I had to manufacture it. Now I can just, you know, swing the club and I can get back there, if that makes sense to you. That's kind of what I've done.

Q. How are the 300 irons different from the Apex Plus to you in playability characteristics?

MIKE WEIR: Well, I can hit my long irons higher when needed, which is a problem I had in my other Irons. It's going to help me on some golf courses, obviously Augusta and some other golf courses where I can really capitalize on hitting some longer, higher irons.

Also there's a little bit different soul and bounce into the club, the club doesn't dig as much as maybe my other irons did. That was something we really worked on, to get the balance of the club right. Also we shortened up the blade quite a bit to make it more of a blade look. I'm really happy with the way it came out, for sure.

Q. You obviously had a big victory last year. That was your only one. You really didn't contend in any of the majors. Did you make progress last year? Was that a step back? Did you stay neutral?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it was kind of right around neutral probably from the year before. But still it was obviously a good year, anytime you win a tournament throughout the year. I played I think three or four less tournaments than in the previous year, and still won an event, had some higher finishes. As you said, you know, I wasn't happy with the way I played in some of the bigger events, majors. So in that regard, it was disappointing.

Q. How do you fix that?

MIKE WEIR: I think I'm still -- it's kind of an experimentation process, the last few years. I think '99 I played in two majors. 2000 was the first year I played in all four. Just kind of went into them. Wasn't sure really how to prepare for them, if I need to prepare any different. Last year I tried to do a little extra preparation. I think I'm still trying to find the right formula. Maybe it's just taking it as any other event. That's probably how I'll approach it this year, just find what the right formula is.

Q. Will you change anything this year? Did you play BellSouth last year? Will you play it?

MIKE WEIR: I did play BellSouth. I played well at The Masters. Didn't get much out of it, but I played well. I'll probably play BellSouth again.

Q. Do you like playing a week before a major?

MIKE WEIR: That was something else I tried to work in last year. Into the Masters, it did work. Into the US Open, what was before the US Open last year?

Q. Memphis.

MIKE WEIR: I didn't play. I think the other three I didn't play the week before. Maybe I'll try to play the week before next year or this year on the majors, especially the British Open. I think I'm going to try to go over there and play the Scottish Open. Last year I went over and just played for about four days before the tournament, just kind of played around.

Q. Have you played Loch Lomond before?

MIKE WEIR: No. I think it's just getting your time set, competition.

Q. A couple months before THE TOUR Championship, did you resign yourself to the fact you wouldn't be here?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, at the end of THE TOUR Championship. At the beginning of the week, I would say. Even leading into Wednesday, leading into Thursday's morning round, I think my confidence level on a scale of one to ten was a six. I hadn't been playing well. I started to show some signs. I played pretty well Thursday, Friday. Saturday, I didn't play so well, but really held it together. That was kind of the same way Sunday. The holes I struggled on, I held it together with some great saves, hit some key shots when I needed to.

It was really a big boost there because I didn't feel real confident going into the tournament but still won.

Q. Seems like you've been a better late in the year for whatever reason. Does this surprise you. Have you made a conscious effort to try to get a faster start this year?

MIKE WEIR: I think before I got on the tour, it took me six years to get on the PGA TOUR. I was constantly gearing myself for the Fall Classic, Q school. I think my mindset was always try to peak for the Q school. Maybe that kind of carried over into the PGA TOUR, you know (laughter). Seriously, I think my whole year was geared around that, to try to get ready to try to qualify. Maybe that's why I played so well in the fall.

You know, I've played pretty well the start of the year the last couple years. I hadn't won. Last year I finished about tenth year, almost won Pebble, almost won San Diego. Had good chances to win those tournaments. I just hadn't won. But I played pretty well at the beginning of the year. Kind of the middle of the year, the summer, I haven't played well. That's what I've got to fix.

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks, Mike.

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