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THE RYDER CUP MATCHES

September 20, 2006

Brett Wetterich

STRAFFAN, IRELAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Brett, welcome, thanks for joining us. We heard from Zach his thoughts on the week. How has it been for you? Is it what you expected it would be and how are you feeling about the whole experience?

BRETT WETTERICH: It definitely has been everything I expected it to be. We've had a lot of fun these first couple of days over here and on the trip that we came for a couple of days. It's all been nice and just trying to soak it all in and figure things and anxious to get things started on Friday and start playing some golf.

SCOTT CROCKETT: How about your own game, how is it shaping up?

BRETT WETTERICH: I think it's okay. I hit the ball decent today. Just need to make a few putts for me. I think I'm hitting the ball good enough to score and make some birdies, so I just need to make sure I make a few putts.

Q. Can you talk about the weather conditions, and how much bad weather have you played in and are you a good bad weather player?

BRETT WETTERICH: You know, I obviously haven't played in a lot of weather like this out here, but I don't mind playing in the wind, I know that. Being that I've lived in Florida the last 12 years, there's quite a bit of wind in the wintertime. That I don't really mind. Rain I don't like so much, but I'll fight through it and we'll just take it a day at a time.

Q. Did you hear the last part when Zach said that he would like to think that he's the go to guy? Did you feel that you'd like to be put in that position if need be, that you could anchor, whatever the team needs you to do?

BRETT WETTERICH: If I'm in that position, I think I'll be able to handle it. It I'm not saying I'm going to win my point or whatever, but I think I'll be able to handle the situation and whatever happens, happens. Only you can decide that. You know how that goes.

I would like it. It would be a little nerve wracking, but I think I'd fight through it.

Q. Could you talk about Tiger's role on the team, and do you think he has that leadership quality?

BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, he definitely does, I think. Just his presence, being around him, you know, it's a pretty neat feeling to have the best player in the world on your side, and the number two and three guys, also. They are all great leaders and they all have positive things to say to us.

I know I need a lot of talking to. I've never been here before and this is a pretty grand scale. So, yeah, they say a lot of good things that we all soak in and just kind of like Zach said, I kind of follow it all, also. I don't really have much to say. I just kind of feel things out and take it all in and just kind of do whatever everybody else is doing.

Q. Can you talk a little about kind of the surreal nature of going from Q School to Ryder Cup and what was your mindset at this time last year about where your game was, where your life was and things like that?

BRETT WETTERICH: At this time last year I was worried about keeping my card. I ended up finishing 132 on the Money List last year. I was battling to try to get inside the Top 125.

The Q School thing was great and I got through. And to win the tournament I did, that was a great feeling, and all of a sudden, this. It kind of threw me for a loop, you know. I'm ready for the challenge, I think.

Q. How tough was last week, the PGA Championship, you're just right there on the bubble and guys had a chance down to the last nine holes.

BRETT WETTERICH: It was tough to sit back and watch. I got kind of aggravated the last couple weeks, you know, prior to the PGA, wanting to play well so I could make sure I stayed inside the Top 10 and have good tournaments. You know, if I played well and didn't make the team, at least, you know, I gave it a good effort and I finished good in some tournaments coming down the stretch, but it didn't happen like that. I missed the cut and, you know, I was just sitting at home watching everything unfold. It was pretty nerve wracking.

Q. Scott Verplank described you yesterday fondly as a big goof, kind of jokingly. What kind of makes you kind of a guy that he would describe that way?

BRETT WETTERICH: Not real sure. Maybe I had a couple beers in me, I don't know. (Smiling).

Usually I'm kind of I kind of stick to myself, you know. But the more I get to know the guys, the more my personality comes out. I think guys appreciate it. I'll make you laugh here and there.

I think I'm fun to be around, I guess. Maybe not everybody will say that.

Q. These rather notorious remarks from Rick Reilly about the whole team and about the rookies in particular, and perhaps even worse about you, are you the kind of guy that gets mad about that and wants to prove your worth, or do you just laugh it off and not care?

BRETT WETTERICH: I think you've just got to laugh it off, you know, and there's always going to be people that say or write things about you or your team that you're not going to like, and there's going to be people that write great things about you. I think you just need to trash it, just ball it up and throw it away and try not to let writers like that or people try to pull you down.

Q. Just as a follow up, did you win a load of skins at the 8th today?

BRETT WETTERICH: Did I win any skins yesterday?

Q. Today.

BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, one.

Q. Just the one?

BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, just one. Better than none, though.

Q. Just to follow up, can you put this year in perspective? Weren't you enshrined in your high school sports Hall of Fame at the start of this year and then you win the golf tournament and now you're in the Ryder Cup Team? What has this year been like to have those kind of experiences?

BRETT WETTERICH: It's been weird because I don't think my high school really liked me too much, and it was kind of weird when they called me and said they were going to induct me into their Hall of Fame. I was kind of surprised by that.

Everything seemed to unfold from there. Good things were happening to me. I finished Top 10 a couple of times and then the win. It was just all building up and then finally it came out. I always knew I could play well out here, I just never really came through until now.

Q. It was written about earlier, this was going to be the Ryder Cup with the nametags because there's so many rookies. Have you rookies talked amongst yourselves about what you've got to deliver for this team to win?

BRETT WETTERICH: Not really. The time we're around each other, we're having fun and not too much serious talk about what we're facing. We're just trying to have fun. You know, I haven't really spoke to anybody about it to be honest with you.

Q. Could you just explain to someone from this side of the pond how you socialize or get to mix or get to know the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson when you're coming from your position and you arrive at the Ryder Cup? Had you socialized or met before recent weeks?

BRETT WETTERICH: Before all this happened, I never really socialized much with those guys at all, mostly because I was in the last group teeing off or making the cut, never really on top.

I'm starting to feel more comfortable around them, and I'll go out and start talking to them now, where before, there's no way I would ever go up to them and chop them in the shoulder or something like that. But now I feel more comfortable to go out there and do whatever I want to.

Q. You addressed the subject of Tiger Woods and what a leadership figure he is. Does Phil have the same stature and the same influence on the team as Tiger?

BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, like I said, they are the top three guys in the world, with Jim thrown in there, also. They have a lot of good things to say, and definitely I think you've got to take it in. Someone like myself, they are going to have something I can learn from them. They have been here, I don't know how many times they have played in Ryder Cups, but I know it's more than I've played in. So they are always going to have something important to say, and just about everything they have said, you know, has either been true or it's something that you really need to know.

Q. Curious, why don't you think your high school liked you very much? Had to ask.

BRETT WETTERICH: I don't know if I should go into that one (laughter). I spent a lot of time in the principal's office, I should say.

Q. And of all of the things that Tiger or Phil or even Jim Furyk has said in terms of advice, what has been maybe the one thing that has stuck with you the most or maybe what's the oddest thing to hear coming out of those guys mouths?

BRETT WETTERICH: I think the biggest thing is that, you know, that they tell us just to be patient and play your own game, doesn't matter what's going on around you. Just try to stay focused on what you have to do and get a lot of rest, as Zach said. I think both of those things are important, and Tiger gave us a few little tidbits of like, just, you want to do something for your teammates and your country so bad, you've got to kind of drown all that out and think of what you have in front of you, whether it's a five footer or a shot into a green. You just really need to be focused on what you're doing and try to drown all of those other things out.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Brett, thank you very much and good luck this week.

End of FastScripts.

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