MICHELOB CHAMPIONSHIP AT KINGSMILL

October 8, 2000

Mike Weir

MIKE WEIR: Thanks.

MIKE WEIR: Sure. I played a great round of golf today. I had really finished with a flurry. Struck the ball well finally today. All week I talked to some of you guys earlier that I hadn't hit it very good and just kind of hung in there. Before going into today, I thought-- I didn't feel like I was playing too good, and seemed to hit on a few things last night with my swing and came out today and felt really good. Shot a great round, finished really well. Had a few chances earlier to maybe have a couple of better -- 3-putted the 3rd hole for a par; had another couple of chances that lipped out, but overall the way I finished, get in a playoff, that is all I could ask for really.

MIKE WEIR: Well, no. But --

MIKE WEIR: Well, yeah, I have a coach and I talk to my coach on the phone and it is no different from a lefty or righty. There is no difference really.

MIKE WEIR: A righty can look at me.

MIKE WEIR: If you know the golf swing, you know, it doesn't matter lefty or righty.

MIKE WEIR: Okay, birdied 12. Hit a wedge in there about five feet, and then I guess 14 I hit a 9-iron about eight feet. 15 drove it in the rough, lay-it-up, hit it close for my third shot to about four feet. Birdied 16 as well which was my driver and a 7-iron about twelve feet. 18, I hit driver and 6-iron to about ten feet. Twelve feet maybe. Made that one.

MIKE WEIR: Well, I took -- I am not going to overthink it. I did my same routine like I do on every putt, looked at it from both sides, picked my spot, my two strokes and there was a bug laying on my putter; had to back off. I went through that again and thought I hit a good putt first time around. I was putting from a little bit further left and the thing broke left-to-right, about two inches right in the center of the hole. Next time I played it on the left fringe thinking it was going to break a little bit; actually I don't know if it hit something or just didn't break, but it just kind of hung out there to the left, so...

MIKE WEIR: Probably ten feet.

MIKE WEIR: I went and grabbed a bite to eat; then went warmed up again; went and hit some balls; hit a few putts.

MIKE WEIR: I don't think it had much of an effect really. I don't. I got up there pushed my tee shot maybe just a little bit on 18, but I thought it was perfect, and I guess it just rolled off and kind of horrible lie. You can -- every spot except for where my ball was a good lie. But that is the way it goes.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, just luck -- just hack it; hopefully it comes out hot and bounced up there, nothing.

MIKE WEIR: I was trying to nuke a 9-iron.

MIKE WEIR: I could see it -- I saw the ball rolling so I knew it was in the fairway if it was rolling. But couldn't -- because it goes down the slope, I couldn't see it finish up, but I knew I hit it hard. I hit my drive good in regulation and had 20 yards further than I did this time around, so really hit that drive in the playoff really solid. Like I said, it leaked just a little bit, but you know, I thought it was -- I hit it solid enough that it was in the fairway, just I guess, once it got over that slope just rolled left into the rough.

MIKE WEIR: Sure, I haven't -- best I probably played in these last couple of months. I took three weeks off before this week, so I have been playing -- I was playing last week a little bit trying to get my game in shape, and worked with my coach last week so, yeah, showed some signs of, like I said, not until today really. I was just in a good frame of mind that held me in the tournament until today 'til my ball striking came around, so, that is really what did it.

MIKE WEIR: I am disappointed obviously. I wanted to win the tournament. That is what I was here to do and made a key putt on the last hole to get in the playoff I felt like, and like I said, just luck of the draw. I thought I hit a good drive on 18; didn't turn out; thought I hit a good putt, didn't turn out either, so that is the way the game is.

MIKE WEIR: I mean --

MIKE WEIR: I am sure I will come here. I play well here. I will come. It's been a good week for me really. Obviously I am disappointed I didn't win, but you know, that is what you have got to live with as a professional golfer. You have got to the live with these setbacks sometimes and I don't look at it really as a setback. That is just the way the game is. I hit a good shot, just wasn't rewarded for it.

MIKE WEIR: Well, it hasn't been a roller-coaster of emotion. I just played a solid round of golf today. I was hoping that that would be enough to get in a playoff. Obviously, I am disapointed because I didn't win. If I wasn't disappointed there would be something wrong. I am here trying to win a golf tournament; didn't win, so, obviously I feel like if you are a competitor you are going to be disappointed that you didn't win.

MIKE WEIR: I didn't really think like that really. I finally started feeling better on the range like with my game a little bit with my swing, and just thought, let's just go play, see what happens really, and try to shoot as low as I can and see what happens.

MIKE WEIR: No. Only time I looked was on 18. I looked on 18, I saw David at the time was at 13-under and I had a 12-footer for birdie. I figured I probably need to make that and I did.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, definitely. Well, I took the two weeks or the three weeks off after those two Canadian tournaments which are important to me, those are big weeks; a lot going on so. Those wear me down just a little bit. I needed some time to regroup and get ready for the end of the year.

MIKE WEIR: It is a big event for me. One of my main goals to make that team this year at the beginning of the year. Because there hasn't been a Canadian player and I said before it's not only myself, it is the Canadian golf fans and people in Canada who are very excited that I am playing. I think it is going to be a great battle, two great teams, I think it's a good golf course for the type of format that it is at, the format that it is, and I am really looking forward it to just being on the team again. It has been eight years since I was in college to be with a bunch of guys kinds of rooting for the guys on your own team, having a partner, so it will be a neat experience for me.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, that is true in a sense but not true because I think almost all of the guys that are on the International Team play the U.S. Tour. So we all know each other well. I think we all get along pretty well. There is a couple of guys that don't play here regularly Retief and Michael Campbell, I think the rest of the guys pretty much play over here, so I don't know. Seemed like Australia, The International Team was really together and really formed together as a unit, so expect the same thing this time around.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it is tough because I know a lot -- I am friends with a lot of the guys on the U.S. Team, but I think, yeah, definitely I was rooting for the International Team.

MIKE WEIR: I don't have a lot of experience in it. I guess just Match Play, I played this year earlier in the year was the only time since really junior golf since I played something. But that type of format the alternate shot, that will be the first for me, so I am not sure who Captain Thompson will pair me with, so it will be interesting. I might -- maybe paired with a veteran so I can see what strategies are involved, if there is a strategy involved with it. I am sure there is a little bit, but it will be interesting to see how he pairs the guys together.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, that will be fun. That is head-to-head Match Play, but I am looking forward to the team aspect, being with the team and having a partner out there just a different experience playing in that type of format than regular just Match Play or stroke-play.

MIKE WEIR: Oh, yeah, that is true.