KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 28, 2022

Mike Weir

Press Conference

Harbor Shores

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores. Win we are with Mike Weir who just closed with a 4-under par 67 today. Really interesting ending sequence for you, double-bogey and then a birdie. Some ill fortune on 17 but bounced back.

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, that was an unfortunate bounce. I thought it was just going to be in the bunker and yeah that tested me a little bit there. I made a nice putt from about eight feet and stood up there and hit a great drive and 8-iron to close range on 18, so good way to finish. All in all it was a really good day. I played really well. I over drew that shot on 17. But you know, played really nice golf today.

Q. Reminiscent of how you played on Thursday?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I would say similar. The conditions were back to Thursday a little bit. The ball is traveling further and I made a few more birdies today. I didn't play too poorly yesterday. Tough scoring but overall solid golf. I played well.

My birdies were, I guess, on number -- I started on 4. I made a birdie from -- about an 8-footer on 4 and same with on 5, maybe ten feet on 5 and I guess on my next nine was close to about four feet. Oh, and 7 up the hill, I was in there three feet, four feet. And my back nine birdies were on 10, was the longest putt I made. It was probably a 15 -foot putt on 10. And hit a nice wedge in there three feet and then 18 hit it four feet. A lot of close shots close to the hole. Very similar to Thursday as well. Haven't made really anything over 15 feet all week and just my iron play has been good.

Q. What did you see on 17?

MIKE WEIR: I saw it. I saw it hit the rake and I thought -- in the air, I think I said don't plug because I thought it was going to be in the bunker and was trying to hit a hard 6-iron. I told myself if I went over the bunker, I thought that was fine and it kept drawing a little bit on the wind and obviously missed the bunker to hit a foot outside the bunker and that's right where the rake was. It jumped forward 25, 30 yards, and into the hazard. I actually thought it was lodged against a couple branches down below, a couple loose twigs and I thought if I swung hard it would get on the green or by the green. I thought it was going to come out. I took a pretty good swing at it. I thought it would pop right out.

Q. Have you ever had something like that happen in a tournament?

MIKE WEIR: I've had a few of those lately. I had one at my last round, actually, in Birmingham where I slipped, I was on a bit of a side slope, my back foot slipped. Hooked it, hit the cart path, went out-of-bounds by a foot. Had a couple funny ones lately and I don't know, I'm proud of the 5 I made, it was a really good five and bounced back with a birdie good way to finish.

JOHN DEVER: Did you leave your shoes on? Did you get wet.

MIKE WEIR: No, it was that far short, leaning against a couple twigs. I had to hit the twigs and just I thought it would all just kind of come out. But it came out very dead obviously.

Q. In terms of dryness, any advantage to starting later in the day?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I wasn't out here really early, but it was surprisingly, the course held up well. It's on duney land where it's sandy underneath. It gathered that moisture pretty well and the superintendents did a great job. The course was in great condition today.

Q. You and Stephen Ames both playing under the Canadian flag. What's it like to chase him and what's the relationship like, as much as you guys have played?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, we played a lot of golf together. He's at the top of the leaderboard, all us guys chasing and he's been playing some great golf this year. He's been playing really good, really well and he's continued that this week. We've all had our hands full to try to catch him. That's always been kept in his game, ball-striking. All aspects he does well.

Q. I know you were happy with the 5 you made on 17 but still a bad break in a critical point in the golf tournament. How do you keep your emotions in check at that point going to 18, clearly put it behind you pretty quickly and made a birdie, how are you able to do that?

MIKE WEIR: I think it's a good self-talk. I just told myself that I'm playing well. There's still 19 holes left. Let's start with a good tee shot here. Let's start that. Let's put that behind us and let's start with a good tee shot. I wanted to hit and make an aggressive swing on 18 and made a very aggressive swing with that tee ball and followed that up with, I just had a great number. I had 155 yards and was a little into the wind and so I just hit a nice 8-iron.