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OMEGA MISSION HILLS WORLD CUP

November 22, 2007

HONG KONG, CHINA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome the United States Team of Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum into the interview area, the team with 11-under par, 61 today. Heath with one birdie and one eagle; Boo with six birdies and one eagle. We'll just open with some quick comments from each of you, and then we'll open it up for questions.
Heath, why don't you start us off, please.
HEATH SLOCUM: Obviously it was a really good day for us. It was fun out there watching Boo play very well. I hit a few good shots, made some putts, but I'll be honest, I was cheering for him a lot.
We enjoyed ourselves out there today. We got a real good look at the golf course under tournament conditions, and I just think we're really ready and we've put ourselves in a good position going into the foursomes tomorrow.
BOO WEEKLEY: We played pretty solid today. We just brother-in-lawed it very well, kept it in play and kept us it front of us.
I got fortunate today, my putter got hit and made some putts, and then we missed a couple by the hair of our teeth it seemed; except for visa really could have got out of control there today. But we didn't, and look forward to tomorrow and hoping visa we can play steady as we did today and keep it right out in front of us and hope we can keep it going forward.

Q. Could you bring us up-to-date with the adventures of your caddie and what it's like to experience Thanksgiving Day in China?
BOO WEEKLEY: You know, Thanksgiving Day, I wish I was back home, you know, with my family but at the same time I'm honoured to be over here and represent the United States playing in China.
And my caddie visa was an ordeal. Visa was just crazy. It worked out pretty good. He had to stay in Hong Kong and get his visa, and then they brought him over here about four o'clock yesterday to Mission Hills and I walked in about six and he was asleep and he slept all the way till about four this morning. He said he was ready to get after it, and that's what we did today.

Q. What did you know about China before you came here?
BOO WEEKLEY: Not much.

Q. Anything?
BOO WEEKLEY: No, sir. Rice.

Q. The Wall?
BOO WEEKLEY: Sir?

Q. The Wall.
BOO WEEKLEY: Oh, yeah, I know The Great Wall of China, but I thought it was closer to where we're at, and I found out it was a lot further away. But yeah, I knew the Wall was here.

Q. And what have been your impressions of China so far?
BOO WEEKLEY: We ain't been ever doing nothing. We go straight to the motel and straight here, but I know the people here are friendly. It's very nice, they always say hey and they are polite and stuff, and that's always a plus when you show up somewhere, especially in a foreign country and they are polite and nice. That's a plus for me.

Q. Just on the visa issue, obviously somebody informed you to get a visa to China, because a lot of people have trouble getting visas to come here. How come you had advice to get a visa but your caddie doesn't?
BOO WEEKLEY: My agent told him, a visa, he wouldn't have to have one. But he was talking with some communication people in Hong Kong and from the United States to Hong Kong, you don't have to have one. I mean, he's got a visa but he don't have a -- what is it, working visa? I don't know.
HEATH SLOCUM: Just a visa to get into China.
BOO WEEKLEY: To get into China, he didn't have one of them. He has a visa. I reckon I don't know -- passport -- I don't know. I just know the visa, he had problems. (Laughter).

Q. Did you have to tell your caddie what's what, or was he trying to tell you today?
BOO WEEKLEY: I think we all did it together. I mean, we just went around there. You know, if we had questions, I'd ask Heath, you know, or DJ, Heath's caddie, or my caddie, because this is the first time he's seen this golf course is this morning.
We're really relying on DJ, Heath's caddie. He put a lot of effort in what we were doing with the elevation and the wind and stuff. So it was mostly on Heath and his caddie that helped us.

Q. I don't know whether you're aware, there was a bit of criticism of America for not sending their optimum team. Does that make it very satisfying for you to be leading the field, or weren't you aware that anybody was saying?
BOO WEEKLEY: I didn't know nothing about it, ma'am. I thought they sent the best team. (Laughter).

Q. What's your experience of Asia and China in particular? Have you been here before?
HEATH SLOCUM: Never been to China before. I've actually, in '96, I played in the U.S./Japan Matches just outside of Tokyo. So I've been overseas just once.
But first time in China. Again, didn't know a lot about it. But again, like Boo said, just was really amazed at all of the growth. Like he talked about the people. The people at the resort here, Mission Hills and wherever we've been at airports have been nothing, but polite and awesome to be around.
So they have really made us feel welcome. And it's nice, like he said, when you're away from home, holiday week for us, so we don't get to see our family and it's nice to have people around you that are actually just treating you like you're at home.

Q. How much have you traveled outside the U.S.? What was your reaction you learned you would be playing in China? And if you were not here today, what would you be doing back in the States today?
BOO WEEKLEY: You've gone too far. I'm a little slower than visa. Come on with the first question.

Q. First question, how much have you traveled outside the U.S., and what was your reaction when you learned that you would be going to China?
BOO WEEKLEY: I went to México this year and went to Scotland for the British and then here. That's as far as I've been, three times. It's a culture shock for me to be able to come out and see different things, because I'm a home boy. I like to stay right around the house in the States.
When I found out I was in, it was -- I was I nearly about cried probably just to be able to know that I can come over and represent the United States, it's a plus for me. And then to be able to call one of my good friends up, Heath Slocum that I grew up with and asked him to come play with me, that's even better. And if I was at home right now, I'd be deer hunting.

Q. You said you were emotional when you found out, when you were asked to play; where were you when you were asked? Was it a phone call?
BOO WEEKLEY: Yeah, it was a phone call. I think I was up a tree deer hunting at the time when I got the call. I was just -- because I was --

Q. Did you almost fall out of the tree?
BOO WEEKLEY: No. I was pretty well locked in. I had a harness on and everything.
I was teary-eyed because it was awesome; somebody call you up and say: "Hey, look, would you like to go play and China and represent the United States in the World Cup." To us, this is like our Olympics. I mean, you know, for the way I feel about it and a lot of other people feel about it that play golf, this is a dream, especially for me. I can't speak for Heath, I'm pretty sure it's his, but just to be able to come over here and do this is an honour.

Q. I would imagine there would be a great sense of pride to have two from the same town representing America, and can you talk about that and whether they have done Heath Slocum Days or anything?
HEATH SLOCUM: Funny you say that. We went on -- well, they are obviously very proud of both of us for getting to represent, not only the United States but we're representing the panhandle of Florida, Milton and Pensacola, Florida, but after my first win in Tucson, they definitely had a Heath Slocum Day. Just happened to fall on February 29th, which is, you know, a leap year. (Laughter).
But after Boo's win, I know that they have a Boo Weekley Day.
The town is just very proud of both of us, and I think just how we handle ourselves and represent the city of Milton in general.

Q. How big is Milton, please?
BOO WEEKLEY: I'd guess around 25 (25,000).
HEATH SLOCUM: It's a little bigger than that.
BOO WEEKLEY: 30, I don't know. (30,000)
Q. And until the pair of you had emerged, what had been the most famous thing to have happened or the most famous person to have come out of Milton or the most famous thing that happened in Milton?
HEATH SLOCUM: We actually had -- I'm drawing a blank on his name. But we had a truck -- I think he was a 400-metre runner run in the Olympics. And we had, you know, some college football players. I wouldn't say anything quite at the elite level except for the sprinter and I'm drawing a blank on his name.

Q. Did you get good luck messages from, say, Tiger or Phil or any of the others?
BOO WEEKLEY: You get this one. (Laughter).
HEATH SLOCUM: We didn't. But I mean, I'm sure they are pulling for us.

Q. If you were world No. 1, world No. 2, world No. 3, world No. 4, whatever, would you imagine a day where you two don't represent America?
BOO WEEKLEY: I don't think I could. But I mean, that's me, you know.

Q. Could we get details on the eagles each of you had, the holes and the clubs?
HEATH SLOCUM: No. 3, I hit driver, a 3-wood to probably 25 feet to the back of the green and holed the putt there. I'll let Boo tell but his.
BOO WEEKLEY: I hit a driver and then had like 185, hit 6-iron, seen it bounce and didn't see it go in. So I mean, it went in but we didn't see it go in.

Q. Who hole is that?
BOO WEEKLEY: 12, I'm sorry.

Q. Driver, 6-iron?
BOO WEEKLEY: Driver, 6-iron, yes, sir.
JOE CHEMYCZ: Gentlemen, thank you.

End of FastScripts

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