WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

November 11, 2000

Mike Weir

MIKE WEIR: Well, I'd say I'll start off with I found a little key on the range that kind of keyed my round starting today. I wasn't striking the ball well the last couple of days, and hit on a few keys that got me going early in the round. Want me to go through my birdies? I drove it down the middle on 1; hit a sand wedge to probably 3 feet. Had it close on No. 2. Pretty close on 3. 4, I was right beside the green and didn't convert that one. Then let me think. 7, I was beside the green in two, and chipped it about 8 feet, 7 feet; made that putt. On No. 8, I hit a 3-iron and wedge to 4 feet. No. 9, I missed a short putt for birdie from about 6 feet. No. 10, I hit a 3-wood and a 9-iron to 3 feet. 13, was my next birdie. I hit it -- a drive and a wedge to 4 feet. And let me see... 14, I missed a short birdie. 16, I hit a 5-wood -- no, a 3-wood and a wedge to about 4 feet. 17, I hit a driver and a 4-iron. I was about 15 feet behind the hole for eagle. I ran that past about 6 feet, 7 feet; made that coming back. And that was it.

MIKE WEIR: The key was four shots on No. 17. I made eight there yesterday.

MIKE WEIR: Oh, the key on the range? It was just a little bit of a swing key. My posture was just a little slouchy. I just stood, got a little taller over the ball. I felt very jammed, I guess is the word I could use, the first two days. Today I feel more freed up.

MIKE WEIR: Well, you know, all the names that are close to the top are very good players. I think it's a golf course that you can see big swings, because if you're not playing particularly well, it's very easy to make bogeys. But if you're really on your game, you can attack it and make some birdies. So the player plays -- I think it's a good course for who's playing the best will win, because you can't get away with missed-hit shots. You can't miss fairways out here. So that type of golf, unless you're very lucky, won't last. So I think the player who's playing the best will win.

MIKE WEIR: Yes.

MIKE WEIR: Well, I really don't care about who I'm paired with tomorrow. Obviously, he's playing well. He's going to be near the top of the leaderboard. Of course, if I win this tournament, it will make me feel much better that he's in the tournament and in the field. But as far as tomorrow goes, if I'm paired with him, that will be great. If not, that will be great, too.

MIKE WEIR: Yes.

MIKE WEIR: Oh, I think so. If he's -- he's far and away the best player in the game. So if you win a tournament that he's playing in, you know you've played well. I think, especially a World Golf Championship event like this, that's one of the -- not only Tiger, but the quality of the overall field is one of the best in the world. So it will make you feel really good if you win.

MIKE WEIR: You know, it depends on the conditions tomorrow. I think if it's similar to today, I think it will probably -- 12 or 13 would probably be a very good number. Hopefully, I'll be 16, so way ahead. (Laughing.) But I think with the conditions, 12 or 13 would be a good number.

MIKE WEIR: Well, I think the difficulties are normally the galleries are much bigger; there's a lot more movement. You know the gallery's excited to watch him play, so they're always in a hurry to get in position for the next shot. There's a lot more movement of people around, people trying to get their position. So you just have to be aware of that and be very patient. And something I learned at the PGA a couple years ago, or last year, that I was impatient and let those things frustrate me a little bit instead of just taking my time and waiting until everything calmed down, and then hit the shot. So I think that's maybe one thing I've learned from playing with him.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, you do. You do. You have to change your rhythm a little bit, which is probably -- that's a little bit difficult sometimes. But my goal will be to be on the tee first and hit first, and make birdie every hole so I can be out in front and not have to wait.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, possibly. This has been a long stretch at the end of the year for me. This is my sixth tournament in a row. I'll be glad to take a little bit of a break. But, you know, hopefully I can carry that into next year. But I have played very well here at the end of the year, and too bad there isn't a couple more tournaments. But I just hope to finish tomorrow off well.