WGC EMC WORLD CUP

December 9, 2000

Glen Hnatiuk

Mike Weir

MIKE WEIR: I think we gave ourselves a chance. That is the thing today. We fought back hard. Yesterday was disappointing, but we talked that we just wanted to fight hard today, and you never know what can happen with the foursomes tomorrow. That's where if a team really gets some momentum going and gels well together, you can really shoot a low number. On the other hand, you know, as we did yesterday, we didn't shoot a great number, so it's tougher to pick up ground in this type of format today than it is tomorrow. So I think with -- you know, if we are only 4 or 5 back going into tomorrow, I think we still have a shot, because it is easier to pick up ground on foursomes.

GLEN HNATIUK: I think Mike hit the nail on the head. We put ourselves back in position in the tournament. And like he said, yesterday was disappointing. I think I put Mike in a couple of spots he is not quite familiar with. But he's played great all week. The only thing that surprised me about him is that he hasn't won more than a couple times, really. He played really great on the front nine, and I was just glad to help out on a couple of holes.

GLEN HNATIUK: Well, I think it is important birdieing the 1st hole any time, especially in a format like this when you can be aggressive. So Mike was already in there. He had a really good birdie opportunity. I was just fortunate to make mine first.

MIKE WEIR: You know, I had every full intention of coming, but I was sick. I got sick on Monday evening. You know, it was a 24-hour bug or food poisoning. Tuesday, when I woke up Tuesday, I felt much better. So I was able to make it, no problem.

GLEN HNATIUK: Actually, on Tuesday, I was playing my second -- yeah, it was Tuesday I was playing my first practice round and James Cramer, one of the media guys, came up and said: "You know, at least you have a partner this week." And I said, "Well, he's coming this afternoon." And he said, "Well, actually he wasn't going to come in." And I said, "Well, do they just call in the next Canadian?" And he says, "No, no, they call in the next alternate team." He says, "You would have gone back home and not played." So I was waiting patiently for Mike to come in on that Wednesday.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I did switch the final round in Virginia. I switched to a Taylor Made driver. I think what it has given me is probably 10 more yards of length, probably. I don't know if I -- I don't know if I drive it any straighter, but I think it added length. Even 10 yards is a big help for me. So other than that, it's very similar as far as consistency to what I was using before.

MIKE WEIR: We got off to such a good start today. We birdied our first four holes, and we seemed to go through a bit of a lull. And then I snuck in a putt on No. 8, and then I had a really good luck at about -- it was a 15-foot putt for eagle. And for me being left-handed, it was a left-to-right putt. And I could see the break really well and felt good about it before I even putted it. So whenever you are out there, and for me, being left-handed, I see a putt like that, I kind of lick my chops a little bit. So I was excited to have that putt, and it was nice that it went in. It gave us some momentum.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I probably don't play soccer, and I don't do the extracurricular things that Maradona did.