U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2003

Mike Weir

Q. Mr. Weir, if you could run through the birdies and bogeys in your round today to start and we'll take some questions.

MIKE WEIR: Okay. 7th hole, that's where I hit a 5 iron to 20 feet, made that putt. Three-putted No. 9 from the front of the green, missed a four-foot come back. Birdie on 14, almost holed it out, hit a nice shot in there, almost went in the hole. So tap-in there. Bogeyed 17 and 18, hit a nice shot into 17 that got an unfortunate lie. And 18 I hit a bad tee shot, pulled it and was in the bunker and didn't get up-and-down from there. That was it.

Q. What did you hit in on 14?

MIKE WEIR: I hit a sand wedge. I hit a good drive down the middle.

Q. How was your round today?

MIKE WEIR: Par was good today. The golf course played like they wanted it to play all week. It played firm and fast, the wind swirling around, the greens getting that baked-out look to it a little bit. It played very difficult out there today.

Q. Did you look at the board much? Did you see where you are?

MIKE WEIR: Early on especially I was looking to see what kind of start the guys got off to, and as I said, I was tell Bob Costas in there, I felt like if I could get to 6 or 7, maybe 7-under today, you never know what could happen. Jim is playing Jim Furyk-type golf. He's even par today, which is really good playing, and I don't see him faltering at all. When it's all said and done, maybe I could have shot 4- or 5-under today but it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Q. On 17 you kind of one-bounced it into a bunker there?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I was trying to bounce it up the neck like I did yesterday. Yesterday I hit a good shot and it bounced too hard and ran to the back. Today I felt like I hit it even better, a little higher with a little softer touch to it. It hopped a little right and it would have been fine, but my stance was awkward, plus the ball was sitting -- it was almost in a little hole. It was nestled down in there.

Q. (Inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: Oh, 8, that was a really -- I had trouble lining up on that tee for some reason and I blocked it out to the left. I had a bit of an opening obviously around the left, but I had to hook it pretty good. It was kind of a hard-packed lie where everybody was standing. Usually it's tough out of a hard-packed lie to get any kind of height. I had a little draw out of there and it was just about perfect. I had 152, 153, something like that.

Q. On a day when people thought the course was as forgiving as it was going to be and you started out three over par, the fact that you were able to come back and get in the red numbers and finish in the red, all in all do you feel pretty good about the tournament?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah. I guess given the way I started the week it was not too bad, but there's still aspects of the game -- obviously this week I'm going to look back and say if I could have done this a little bit better, putted a little better the first three rounds. Today I putted better. I didn't have as many chances. Yesterday I had a lot of chances and didn't convert them. That's golf, and you always look back.

Q. You talked about having perhaps -- not reading the putts yesterday. How about today? Did you feel you were reading them well?

MIKE WEIR: I putted well today. I made a number of nice putts. Like I said, it was tough to make -- I felt like it was easier to make putts yesterday compared to today. Today the greens were really slick and fast and some really tough pin positions. I would say I felt like I just rolled it better today and saw the lines a little better.

Q. (Inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: I mean, I'm playing good, playing well. You know, I would have like to have just been a little bit closer starting today, two or three better, but still not a bad week.

Q. It appears Jim Furyk is going to win this championship. Your comment on his joining you as a major champ?

MIKE WEIR: It's fantastic for Jim. He's been such a good player out here for a while now, such a steady player. I'm sure going into this week he had a lot of confidence, he's been playing very well, and to be 10-under par out here is tremendous golf. We could talk all I want about my golf, but Jim has done the job this week and he deserves it, and hopefully he polishes it off in the last three holes.

Q. What's he going to feel in 10, 20 minutes?

MIKE WEIR: He's going to feel -- I think a flood of emotions is probably going to run through him. It's an incredible feeling. I'm really happy for him. As I said, it's not over yet, but it looks like he's going to be in for quite a night tonight.

Q. How important was it for you to come here given your whole journey and what it's taken you to get to this point? Is it a statement about yourself and your career?

MIKE WEIR: I had high expectations. I felt, as I said before, I felt like the U.S. Open and British Open kind of suit my game -- of all the majors I felt like those two tournaments, this tournament especially, really suits my game. No one remembers third or fourth, so I would have loved to have just posted a little bit better number Thursday and been able to just be in the ballgame a little bit more. I never really got in contention here. Even though I'm third or fourth, I was six or seven or eight or nine back. I was never within three or four. That's a little bit disappointing that I wasn't quite there.

Q. (Inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I mean, given everything it's a pretty successful tournament. You're not going to win every week, but the effort was there, and that's -- I'm happy about that. The effort I gave it all the way through, 72 holes, I just didn't quite have my game all four days. Thursday I kind of struggled a little bit, and the first three days I felt like my putting wasn't very good. All in all a pretty good week.

Q. How do you start preparing for the British?

MIKE WEIR: Probably after next week I'll probably -- next week I'll be working pretty hard. I've got some corporate stuff up in the Toronto area next week, then after that I'll take a week to retool some things with my coach, then play the Western Open back here and probably head over to England a little bit early, four or five days early, play golf with a few buddies and kind of get my clock set over there.

Q. Your goal has always been to contend at majors and although technically you didn't contend, you're still top three or four, with your game not at your top standard. What does that say about what your standard is right now?

MIKE WEIR: My standard is getting higher. All in all -- I wouldn't say I wasn't in contention. I was. If I could have gotten off to the kind of start I needed to, if I could have made a couple of putts at 2- or 3-under, you never know what would have happened if I was up there a little bit higher. All in all, I mean, it's still a pretty good week.

Q. Ian got himself into pretty good shape. He hasn't played that many majors. What can he take from a week like this?

MIKE WEIR: It's just good to be there, and I think he'll take a lot of experience away from today. Probably when I get to talk to him, we'll talk about it a little bit. Maybe he can give me some insight into how he was feeling. Ian is obviously a good player and a strong player and I think his wrist is finally healthy. Obviously it's been tough -- it's tough to play when you're hurt, especially probably in your hands. That's got to be really difficult, so I'm glad to see he's back and playing well.

Q. Should golf fans be concerned that Tiger Woods hasn't won a major in a year?

MIKE WEIR: No, I don't think so.

Q. Does this experience make you think that someone could win a grand slam some day?

MIKE WEIR: No, I don't think it's impossible. Obviously a lot of things have to go your way. You've got to peak four times throughout the year. It's a possibility that someone could do it.

Q. (Inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: Well, I remember that tournament well. I mean, Dave played fantastic and had a chance coming down the stretch I remember, so a little different scenario for me. The last few holes I wasn't there.

Q. You mentioned you looked at the leaderboard a few times while you were out there. At one point you were only two shots behind Leaney for second. Did you happen to notice that?

MIKE WEIR: I did notice that. I wanted to make a birdie or two on the last three holes, and I felt like I hit a real good drive on 16 and the wind kind of gusted and I was a foot in the rough there and made a nice par save. I had a nice shot into 17. The only poor shot I hit was on 18 but I was looking to make a birdie or two coming in.

Q. Having come to this event as a major champion, what will you take to the British? Will you look to stuff that happens outside the golf course?

MIKE WEIR: Possibly. I think getting there early will be helpful for me, just kind of getting -- feeling right on the time clock over there because it's such a big change. I think my preparation -- I think I'll prepare my -- my time will be a little bit more coordinated maybe than what it was this week. I felt like a little scattered the first Monday through Wednesday with stuff that was unexpected coming up, so I was prepared for that.

Q. Did you feel like the reaction from the crowds this week, was there anything different being a major champion and the way they reacted to you?

MIKE WEIR: Definitely. The crowds were really pulling for me. It was great. The fans here have been fantastic. I've played well in Chicago. I was in contention at Medinah, almost won at Cog Hill in '99, so I think they know who I am and they were pulling for me out there. It was a lot of fun. It makes me feel good. I don't know why. I mean, I did it early in the year and I won the Hope and obviously winning The Masters with it, so I thought I'd give it a go here again.

Q. (Inaudible).

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it was the first time I wore it this year. I've worn blue before, I think, in my other wins, kind of University colors. I went with black this year.

Q. Your black to Tiger's red, huh?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah.

Q. What does Jim Furyk's method illustrate about what's important in the golf swing?

MIKE WEIR: His method? Well, I think his club on the downswing gets on the swing plane and that's why he's able to hit it so straight. His club face is square on the swing plane on the way down, and it's a little bit different getting there, but it is still effective, and through the hitting area it's still pretty good, so I think that's why he's consistent. Plus he has really good rhythm in his swing.

End of FastScripts....