WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 19, 2002

Mike Weir

TODD BUDNICK: Welcome Michael Wier. 5 under, 67 today. Defending championship coming in with a great start.

MIKE WEIR: Yes. It's good to get off to a good start. You know it's nice to shoot 5 under par today. I really did it with really solid ball striking today. I really played well and drove it well. I hit all my shots solid. I got off to a bit of a shaky start. I hit it in the water on the second hole and made a bogey. And proceeded to 3-putt the 4th hole and missed a couple of close birdie putts on 5 and 6, so I was 1-over par and really felt I let a few slip away but I hung in there and made a nice putt on 7 and 8 for birdies, probably from -- 7 was maybe 20 feet and 8 was maybe 15 feet.

And made a nice par save on 9 from the green-side bunker. I had a nice bunker shot to about four feet. The back side I played real solid. Hit driver and 5-wood 20 feet on ten for eagle and left it on the lip.

I hit a 7-iron on 11 to about 3 feet and made that one. I just played solid all the way around.

Q. You've had some good rounds. And in the past you followed up with a good round. That's got to be the focus now?

MIKE WEIR: Yes. The last few weeks I've really been striking the ball nicely and I kept that nice flow today where I was hitting the ball pretty well today. You know, the key is patience. I have to stay patient. Today I didn't get off to the greatest start but held in there because I knew I was playing well and if I stayed patient things would happen. And luckily, I did well on a few putts and it was a good score. I would love to follow it up with three solid rounds; it's only round one, but it's nice to get off to a good start.

Q. With the early conditions, was it easy to attack the flags?

MIKE WEIR: I think so. Earlier this morning, it was easier than it is now. The last six or seven holes the wind started to blow and it was a little bit of a factor. The course is in such tremendous shape, you don't have to hit five feet to make birdie, you can be 20, 25 feet because the greens are so nice and still feel like you have a good chance to make it because they're so pure. Early on this morning it was a little easier probably, getting it close to the hole, but I suspect the scores will be so good this afternoon, they'll be low this afternoon.

Q. Is it strange coming here as a defending champion? You came here two years ago. Given that, how great does it feel to get off to a good start today?

MIKE WEIR: It feels great. You know, it was a goal of mine, even though it was, as you say, two years removed and a different golf course. I still do feel like the defending champion. In this event, I wanted to play well and get off to a nice start and hopefully have a chance Sunday. The best way to do that is get off to a good start, and I'm happy to do that.

Q. Did you catch a bit of a break on 17 when you went left of the tree?

MIKE WEIR: I knew as long as I hit it solid, it was enough to carry. I did catch a break on my lie over there in the rough. I had a pretty good lie in the rough and I was able to muscle a 5-wood on to the green on 17 and make a nice birdie there. So I did catch a nice break there. It's nice to get a good one once in a while.

Q. Walk us through those birdies on 17 and 18.

MIKE WEIR: 17, yes, I drove a little left by the big tree over there and you know had about 240 yards maybe and I hit a 5-wood on the green, probably 50 feet, 2-putted.

And then 18, with the wind the way it was, it didn't set up very well for me so I hit a 3-wood off the tee, and 3-iron onto the green to about 15 feet and made that.

Q. And 3?

MIKE WEIR: 3, I hit a 6-iron this morning to 12 feet maybe.

Q. What was 11? 6-iron?

MIKE WEIR: I said 7. It was a little cut 6-iron.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts....