WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 30, 2003

Mike Weir

TODD BUDNICK: We thank Mike Weir, past champion here at the World Golf Championships American Express Championship, fifth on the money list. Mike, you've been in the top five on the money list all year long, having a fantastic season with three wins. Talk about coming here to a new course and what you've seen just coming off from practicing.

MIKE WEIR: It's a good golf course, really good golf course. I think you'll see a lot of lag putting out there. It's going to be tough to get close to a lot of pins out there because of the firmness and quickness of the greens, but the course is running fast, as well. The rough doesn't look very deep, but the ball goes right to the bottom of it, so hitting it out of that stuff all day is going to be a little bit of trouble.

Overall it's a really good golf course. You have to drive it well onto firm greens. Someone who's hitting it a little bit higher might have a chance to get to some of these pins, but the greens really remind me somewhat of Sugar Loaf, and speed-wise like Augusta, so they're very good.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's get back to the fact that you've won three times. You've been in the Player of the Year race for the first time in your career. What do you think -- give us your perspective on your season so far and what you might need to do towards the end.

MIKE WEIR: It's been a great season so far. Obviously I got off to a great start and played pretty steady throughout the year of the year -- I haven't been able to bag a win here in the last couples of months, but as far as Player of the Year goes, I just have to play hard. That's what I'm planning on doing in the last three tournaments is playing hard and see what happens. Whatever happens, I know I've given it all I can, every tournament I've played this year.

Obviously there's a few guys that really have a great chance. If you can sneak a win here or one of us can sneak a win here, they'll probably get the upper hand.

Q. I think most guys agree if you win this week, given your performance in the majors and your other wins, you might have a chance. Do you feel that's a possibility?

MIKE WEIR: If that did happen, that would be -- I guess it probably would put me as a favorite, I guess, but on the other hand, it's going to come down right to the wire. It's going to come down to the last few tournaments probably. It's such an individual thing. Whoever is voting -- players vote, and I've heard guys talk that they put a little more emphasis on money. Other guys say major championships and how guys play in the majors is important and how you've been in contention maybe a little bit more. So it's pretty subjective, the voting, so we'll see.

Q. Move on to the bigger award. Assuming -- I can't remember the sports fan. State a case for Canadian athlete of the major, Mike Weir or Eric Gagne?

MIKE WEIR: What did I say in he's had a great year, two different sports. That's an incredible feat, 54, 54 is a pretty great feat, but there's never been a Canadian win a major.

Q. Who would you vote for?

MIKE WEIR: Probably Eric Gagne.

Q. Because?

MIKE WEIR: Well, I think to not blow a save all year is pretty spectacular in the major leagues. No one has done it before, I don't think. Has there been anybody done that that's not blown one save all year?

Q. It's 55.

MIKE WEIR: Is it 55? So that's pretty unique in itself. I don't care. I mean, I care, but it's not a big deal.

Q. Player of the Year award matters more to you, the Tour one, PGA of America, the point thing, golf riders?

MIKE WEIR: I didn't know there was that many. I guess they're all important. I guess if you're voted amongst your peers and the players are here to vote, I think there's probably a little more that goes with that because those guys are in this day in and day out and know what you've done week in and week out more than anybody else. No disrespect to you guys, but week in and week out, the guys know what kind of effort you've put in, how much work you've done, know if you've been in contention, maybe finished 10th or something, were right there. From my perspective when I'm looking to put in my vote, I'm looking at if a player has been in contention all the time and been there and how he's done in majors and things like that. That's what I'll look to. Only the players know in depth what kind of a year a player has had.

Q. What do you consider contention?

MIKE WEIR: In the ballgame. I mean, within striking distance the last day through the last nine holes. There's nine holes to go, you're still in the tournament even if you're three or four back, you're in the tournament.

Q. You talked about Eric Gagne. Tiger is zeroing in on that record and he's got a couple more to go before he ties it. Could you conceive of 113 cuts in a row? Is that a number you can get your arms around?

MIKE WEIR: No, that's pretty incredible. I was playing a tournament at Preston Trail for Lanny Wadkins and David Feherty. Cameron was telling me he had lunch with Byron Nelson the day before and he said that back then they didn't have cuts, that it was 113 in the top 20 consecutive tournaments in the top 20. I don't know how many players were playing then, if it was a full field of 150 or what, but to finish in the top 20, 113 times in a row, that's pretty incredible.

Q. When you were playing out there today, did you feel it was scoring friendly? That you're going to have to go at pins, that it's a course you can go low on?

MIKE WEIR: I think if you're on top of your game and swinging well, you can make some birdies out here, but on the other hand, the greens are so sneaky fast, if you're above it -- I had a couple number of putts that I wasn't quite paying attention enough and they went 12, 15 feet by the hole. You'll probably see a little bit of that this week.

Par 5s and par 4s, especially the last few holes, you're hitting mid irons and long irons in there. There's a par 3 that's 230. I landed it right in front of the green and it didn't stay on the green. Some other holes you had some wedges and were able to score. I think if a guy gets it going maybe 5, 6-under.

Q. In the last six months with your popularity soaring after The Masters, especially at home, has it given you any appreciation for what Tiger has endured his whole career out here? Do you understand what he's had to deal with and has it been tough for you at all?

MIKE WEIR: Well, I think maybe on some level, yeah, I got a little bit of a feel, especially my last tournament playing in Canada. That's probably more so than what he gets. Yeah, I definitely have an appreciation for what he has to try to accomplish each week and try to get his work done and try to fulfill all his commitments. Yeah, he does it very well.

Q. Has there been any part of it that's been kind of trying, like maybe you just didn't realize it would get to this level?

MIKE WEIR: Well, I think as a player and professional, you never know. You're never going to expect some things that happen, but on the other hand, I kind of mentally prepared myself after I won The Masters that it was going to be a little bit different for me. So in that regard it hasn't bothered me or anything, just some things have been a little bit of a surprise. You've just got to know you can't please everybody. You've got to know your own limitations as far as what you can get done.

Q. When did you start wearing all black on Sunday?

MIKE WEIR: I wore it the final round of the Bob Hope and I won, and I didn't really think much of it. In LA when I won I had a white shirt on, and at the Masters I wore it again and won, so I thought I've got to stick with this.

Q. Are you going to do that the rest of your life?

MIKE WEIR: I don't know. I might, if it keeps working. Except for maybe one or two tournaments this year, with the exception of maybe the PGA where I had a bad fourth round, I've played most of my best golf on Sunday this year, which was a lot better this year where I played poor golf on Sunday. So maybe I'll stick with it. I'm really not a superstitious guy, but that's one thing I'm a little bit sticky about right now.

End of FastScripts.