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THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 5, 2010

Mike Weir

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

DOUG MILNE: Mike, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here after a successful second round in the Honda Classic bogey-free 6-under 64 today. Just start off maybe with a couple differences in the conditions today. Obviously the wind wasn't blowing as hard, I'm sure it was a positive factor.
MIKE WEIR: It was. It was a little different direction, too. The first nine holes was a little bit cold, and then the last nine holes was good scoring conditions.
I think it helped for myself starting on 10 and finishing the front nine, that was my back nine, a lot of left-to-right holes, shots that fit my game well, my shots well.
So yeah, it was as I said just a little chilly in the start and then it got better. My game was pretty good. I hit most of the fairways and you know, scrambled a little bit out there, but you're going to do that on this golf course. It's a tough golf course.
But the putter was pretty good today. Made some nice putts.

Q. How would you compare, just your personal makeup, how would you compare the nerves of golf tournament, big putts, that sort of thing, compared to what you went through Sunday watching that? Is it a whole different set -- is the feeling in any way the same?
MIKE WEIR: Completely different. You know, of course I wanted Team Canada to win, and there's definitely tension in the air, but it's different I guess when you're doing your own sport. I guess your own self-imposed pressure and maybe I guess being an athlete and watching those guys, I don't put as much -- it wouldn't have been devastating to me if they had lost, because I know it could have easily -- bad bounce, puck over stick, deflection, whatever happens can happen.
So on the golf course, yeah, it's a totally different feel, totally different type of pressure. I wouldn't say when I'm watching a hockey game I feel pressure. I want them to do well but I don't feel pressure.

Q. Were you a torch bearer or anything?
MIKE WEIR: No, just went with my family and watched it and enjoyed it.

Q. Do you think any athlete that went to the Olympics -- that wasn't your first?
MIKE WEIR: Salt Lake.

Q. Do you think any athlete that went to the Olympics would feel motivated enough to participate in one? For example if golfers, if Stephen and yourself were up for 2016 --
MIKE WEIR: I think so. I know from watching it and then going up there as the Olympics started, and then as I got near the end and got a chance to get up there, just feeling that spirit is different than any other sporting event. The camaraderie amongst all of the other athletes; got to meet some of the skaters and going over to watch speed skating, watch these different athletes, I don't know, it's just a different feel more myself than going to a golf tournament.
So I think if that feel was in golf, it would be something great to be a part of. Yeah, I think if more guys were up there, I think they would probably even get that feel a little more, how special it is to be an Olympian. I think most golfers I've talked to are pretty excited that the Olympics are the in the games in 2016. But I think when you go there and see that Olympic spirit, it makes you want to be part of it.

Q. Playing with Camilo today, and he's kind of the face of his country for his sport, as you are for yours, what is the pressure of that, of being the golfer that all Canadians look to to represent them?
MIKE WEIR: It's different. I've talked about that a lot. It's a different feeling than probably any other player that doesn't represent their country. So there's not many of us on TOUR that are in that unique situation, because most of the players out here, well, it's getting more diverse on the PGA TOUR but there's obviously a lot of U.S. players but it's getting more diverse.
And definitely there is that added pressure, but it's a great thing. It's a special thing to have that kind of support coming down here, having most of -- a lot of Ontario-ites and Quebecers getting out of the winter to support, and when I'm in California or out west, it's a lot of people from the West Coast of Canada are down there. So that's a unique thing that not a lot of players on TOUR that have. It's pretty special.

Q. Camilo was saying you could take it as adding pressure to your life or kind of a privilege. Over the years have you embraced it as a privilege more than anything?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, no question. I think earlier on, younger in my career, I felt it as a pressure. I think maybe more -- not as much as I was coming up, because I think when I first got on the PGA TOUR, people are excited that there was another Canadian on the PGA TOUR but after I started doing well, there was added pressure to keep doing that. I took that as added pressure but now I don't, and it's a wonderful thing now.

Q. What happened on 10? Was that where you had the 15- or 18-footer?
MIKE WEIR: Yeah, that's a heck of a hole for me, right-to-left wind, I can't carry that bunker, and so I have to play it down the left side. With the wind going that way, the left rough is almost -- that's where the ball is probably going to end up unless it just skirts by the edge of the bunker or something. So I kind of play it as a par 5 and if I happen to get it up-and-down, I'll take that.
So I had a little pitch from the front of the green and pitched it a little too hard and made a nice putt there. You know, it's nice with Camilo and Angel, they can bomb it over the bunker and hit the downslope and chase down there and have a 4- or 5-iron, and then I'm back there hitting 3-wood as hard as I can.

Q. With about three holes left, Camilo kind of on a birdie run, would you have thought he would have finished the day only a couple of shots out of the lead?
MIKE WEIR: I didn't think about it too much to tell you the truth. I was pretty focused on what I was doing, and I knew that Camilo was probably leading, and I still want to keep the pedal down and try to not be satisfied with where I was. I wanted to make a couple more birdies. I wasn't thrilled with the shots I hit into the last two holes. I hit a great shot into the par 37, my 16th hole. Wasn't thrilled with that one. Wasn't thrilled with the approach shots I hit but I made those two long putts. Crazy game, usually when I have a little 7-, 8-iron in my hands I can get a little closer than that. Check they can it was nice to get a little closer to them.

Q. Did you know about the course record before you started today? Does that carry significance for you?
MIKE WEIR: I didn't know. That tied it, right? I didn't. It's a tough golf course. That northwest wind is a lot different wind and I'm not sure -- I've only played here one other time, so I can't remember when it plays out of the south how the golf course plays. It's probably a little bit easier to -- obviously a little easier today than it was yesterday.
But you know, that's a good score for anybody, a really good score for me around this place. I was really happy with that. Very pleased, I've been off for almost ten days after I lost the second round of the Match Play and having a week off up at the Olympics there and coming here and playing so well to start off, I'm happy with it.

Q. When did you get to town?
MIKE WEIR: I didn't get in until late Tuesday night. I got back from the Olympics on Monday and just had that day to get all my stuff together and left Tuesday and was lucky to get here because of all the snow in Atlanta on Tuesday, there was a lot of flights cancelled. It was a long day. I left at 6:00 in the morning and got here about 11:30 at night and so it was a long day. Just the Pro-Am Wednesday.

Q. I take it that kind of layoff is pretty unusual for you at this time of the year?
MIKE WEIR: I'll take a week off here and there. But you know, did not have as much practice time because I was up at the Olympics. Usually I'm doing some stuff, I have a little indoor facility that I usually work quite hard at, so I wasn't able to do quite as much as I would have liked.

Q. When is the last time you played any kind of organized hockey?
MIKE WEIR: Oh, a long time, 22 years. I was 18 years old. So a long time.

Q. Camilo also had an unusual week, he was coming back and forth from Colombia. Your impressions of his play the past couple of days?
MIKE WEIR: He's playing great. I've played with Camilo a number of times and that's as good as I've seen him play. He's driving it great, he looks confident, he's putting the ball nicely. He looks like he really has his game in order. Everything looks good in his game. He's chipping the ball well. He's doing all of the right things. So hopefully he just keeps doing that.
DOUG MILNE: If you wouldn't mind running us through your birdies and giving us some clubs.
MIKE WEIR: Sure. I started on the back nine, so we went through No. 10 where I made that putt for par.
12, I hit a driver and a pitching wedge to 15 feet.
Next hole, I hit driver sand wedge to about six feet.
The 16th hole, I hit a drive and a 7-iron to 20 feet maybe. Made that one.
The par 35, I hit a 4-iron to about a foot and a half.
Then the 8th hole, a driver and an 8-iron that was probably 40 feet.
Then 9, drive and a 7-iron to 20 feet probably on the last hole.

Q. Did they roll a lot better today than yesterday? Obviously later in the day yesterday it's going to be bumpier but was it a big difference between the two?
MIKE WEIR: Not a big difference but a difference. There was definitely a difference, late in the afternoon. These greens hold up nicely in the afternoon but they are still tricky. You think the grain is pulling the putts out here, and later in the day, yesterday there was a few putts that just really surprised me that they didn't get pulled with the grain. But today they seemed to really track online a little bit better.
DOUG MILNE: Mike, as always, we appreciate your time.

End of FastScripts

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