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JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

March 1, 2007

Mike Weir

PHUKET, THAILAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Good start to the Johnnie Walker Classic, 6-under 66, a big difference from you were saying you were skiing just before you came here. Slight difference in temperature.
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, slight difference. I was skiing Sunday before I got on the plane on Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City. So this temperature today felt a lot warmer today than yesterday, I think with the lack of wind. The last couple holes the wind picked up and made a difference but it was very hot out there today. So happy with my round.
GORDON SIMPSON: Considering a ski pole in your hand a few days ago and now golf clubs, did it come as a bit of a surprise?
MIKE WEIR: No, I had been playing -- I lost in the Match Play on Wednesday, but I had been working hard up until that point. So I did have about three or four days off. But I had played four weeks in a row and was working hard on my game, like I said yesterday, that I felt good about things. Pro-Am went well yesterday. I was striking the ball nicely.
So I wouldn't say I expected to shoot 66, but I felt like I was going to play well.

Q. At what stage in the season would you start focusing on Augusta?
MIKE WEIR: You know, probably right about now. When I go home after this week, I'll have next week off and then I start kind of preparing my mind and my game for Augusta.
You know, for me being lefty, I have to hit a lot of right-to-left tee shots, so I'll start practising a fade for me kind of leading in there. So the next few tournaments I play in Florida, Doral and Bay Hill, I'll be working that right-to-left shot quite a bit to get used to that before Augusta. Right now my ball flight is a left-to-right ball flight. Next week I'll be working on the other way.

Q. Do you lose distance when you do that?
MIKE WEIR: I might lose five yards but not very much. It's not a real soft fade. I try to work on a real penetrating --

Q. Do you have enough distance left?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah obviously I would love to have more distance. But the year I won, the course played very, very wet and they were talking that it had narrowed the field down to five or six of the long hitters and I won.
You still have to hit the ball in the fairway at Augusta. They have narrowed the golf course up so much in the last few years that the little bit of rough that they do have out there obviously makes a big difference going into those greens. You still have to drive the ball well and place the ball on the greens and putt well. That's what's great about Augusta, it has been throughout the history, so many great types of players win there, short players, medium, long, and so there's a number of ways to win there.
GORDON SIMPSON: It's been a left-handers benefit for the last few years.
MIKE WEIR: I won a few years ago and Phil has won a couple times. Yeah, I'd like to keep that trend going.

Q. How surprised are you, you know, with your score today given it's your first time, I believe in Asia and the heat; Ernie struggled. Can you sustain this golf over four days of 90-odd degree temperature?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, the score was great today. I still feel like I can sharpen up a few things. I'm not saying I'm going to shoot 6-under every round, but I feel that I've been giving myself chances. And that's the key to shooting good scores is just hitting the ball in the fairway and giving yourself opportunities, and that's what I did today. Hopefully that's what I can do the rest of the week and hopefully it works out.

Q. I was just going to ask you, what level of skier are you, can you tackle those black runs?
MIKE WEIR: I would say I'm --

Q. Handicap terms.
MIKE WEIR: In handicap terms, I'm probably a two. I'd probably take it down from about a six to a two in the last couple of years. I have some good friends who are very good skiers and I get tips from them quite often. I'm a pretty good skier. I'm not -- I would say I'm medium-aggressive, but I don't go out there going through the motions. I like to find some good stuff to have some fun and get after it.

Q. So you do the black runs?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, yeah, that's what we ski in. The last Sunday a friend of mine and I skied, we hiked to some pretty cool spots to find some fresh powder. When you get to be a bit of a diehard skier like myself and we had a couple good snowfalls, you like to find that real fresh stuff, so you've got to hike for it sometimes.

Q. Is Salt Lake your favourite place or do you have some favourite places back home?
MIKE WEIR: Well, that's where I live now, so it's real easy for me when I'm home. From my house, it takes me 25 minutes to get up there. I did ski Whistler, Canada last year, and I loved that, that was probably my favourite place. I love skiing in Utah. It's easy, convenient.
GORDON SIMPSON: What were the golfing highlights today then?
MIKE WEIR: Well, the highlights today were I eagled my second hole, No. 11. I hit a drive and a rescue club to about eight feet and made that putt for eagle.
Then I was kind of back and forth. I made a birdie and 3-putted the next hole and made another birdie and drove it in the rough the next hole and made a bogey.
So I turned at 2-under and then I hit a very good shot into No. 2, which is my 11th hole to about three feet. Then birdied, made a nice putt the next hole on 3. Then I just took advantage of a couple of par 5s coming home and made one other one. So turned into a good score.

Q. What was your shot of the day? The second to 11?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, I would say that my second hole, No. 11, that rescue club was a nice high, fade rescue in there from about 230 yards to about eight feet. That was probably the best shot I hit today.

Q. What's the loft?
MIKE WEIR: It's about 5-wood -- I think it's 17 degrees, 18 degrees -- 18, actually.

Q. What do you think of the organisation and the hospitality during this week from Johnnie Walker?
MIKE WEIR: So far it's been fantastic. I was talking to Goose out there today about the drink serving tonight amongst the players, and looking forward to that. I don't know how my bartending skills are, but I look forward to it. I can crack a beer and I can probably pour some Johnnie Walker but I'm not much of a mixer. I think it will be pretty easy and a lot of fun. But as you said, the hospitality has been great. It even exceeds my expectations how beautiful this place has been, by the beach, and our hotel is great. It's been a great time so far.

Q. And how is the tournament organisation?
MIKE WEIR: The tournament is obviously very well run. The people from Johnnie Walker, from the dinner we had on Tuesday night was fantastic, and as I say, looking forward to tonight. The golf course and the volunteers, everything is first class.
GORDON SIMPSON: Enjoy tonight and hopefully you can serve up the same tomorrow. Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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