Mike Weir - Part 4 (The Majors and Team Play)

Music playing  00:00

Mike Gonzalez  00:15

Let's talk a little bit, Mike about the U.S. Open, where you had a chance to play 14 times, you made 11 cuts, two top fives, four top 10s with some pretty good finishes along the way. I guess the one that I probably remembered was your one at Olympia Fields because I was the gallery marshall captain for the 15th hole, which I think was that downhill par three.

Weir, Mike  00:39

Oh, yeah, I remember 15. Yeah. That was a fun Golf Course. I remember that outside of Chicago. And that was also the summer that I was playing very well. But I think I finished third there, but it was never really got close enough to Jim. That week, I remember, I think maybe I'd cut it to maybe three shots or something at some point during the final round, but never quite close enough to be a serious, serious threat down the last few holes. I played very well there. But that was one that GM seemed to just have hold of, and he was locked into.

Devlin, Bruce  01:22

You played good in next year too, you finished fourth behind Retief at Shinnecock.

Weir, Mike  01:30

Yeah, yeah, that one I played very well. Again, Retief had an incredible week. Incredible short game. That one 2004 funny story. I was on the range Tuesday, and not playing very well, struggling. And I was with my sports psychologist there, my coach at the time, we were kind of besides ourselves and couldn't kind of put it together and I just kind of came up with a routine where I tried to get into the ball with a little more up tempo. And because I had been kind of searching a little bit, I think everything kind of slowed down. I was getting a little bit too technical. And I said, Okay, what if I just kind of get in there, take a look and go, you know, just a little more upbeat.  I timed it. I actually timed. I had my coach kind of time it. From the time I walked into the ball to hit the ball. First couple I walked in, there was about 12 or 13 seconds from the time I walked in, set it down and go so it was felt fairly fast. But by the time Thursday came around, I was down to about 10 seconds. I mean, it was really upbeat. And sure enough, I started hitting it better and better. And by Sunday I was really really on point and hitting it good. And a couple of putts on the back nine, they're very, very difficult greens. That was the tournament where the USGA on a couple of the holes were watering the greens in between groups, the eighth hole in particular and the 11th hole. Boy, they were that it was just playing so tough. And yeah, I felt like I did have a chance there. I just just couldn't get a couple of the putts to drop on the back nine there.

Devlin, Bruce  03:06

That brings up a question. Who do you know was the first man that ever practiced that continually? Timing himself from the moment he put his hand on the golf club in the golf bag, to the time he struck the ball.

Weir, Mike  03:25

Billy Casper.

Devlin, Bruce  03:28

No. First name starts with a B. 

Weir, Mike  03:33

Ben Hogan.

Mike Gonzalez  03:36

I don't think you'll come up with this one. 

Weir, Mike  03:38

Okay.

Devlin, Bruce  03:38

Bert Yancey. 

Weir, Mike  03:41

Bert Yancey, really?

Devlin, Bruce  03:43

Bert Yancey did that for just I mean, he was meticulous about being able to do it in the same time, it didn't matter if it  was the driver or whether it was a pitching wedge? The moment he put his hand on the club until he struck the ball, he had his caddie timing it all the time. And he did just exactly what you said. It took him from thinking about all those other things. It was okay, I got the club. Here's my stance. There's a target. Bang.

Weir, Mike  04:13

Yeah, I mean, there's something there's some value there. I mean, no doubt, at various points in my career using that. I  don't know why I don't use it more. Not very smart. But it really worked that week and other times. It just takes the takes the edge off sometimes.

Mike Gonzalez  04:31

Yeah. You had another good finish in 2006, T six. This is when Jeff Ogilvy won at Winged Foot. I guess it brings me to a question that we've asked a lot of the guys you know, we've talked to some players that were great great players, won majors, whatever, but for whatever reason, USGA setups weren't their cup of tea. In your case. I don't think you seemed to mind it, did you?

Weir, Mike  04:54

I think my game, and if I look at my career, I've always played well on difficult Golf Courses. And the greater the challenge.,I feel like my game kind of showed up. I'd like to think that and I think maybe because I had to put more attention to detail in my course preparation, how I was going to attack the Golf Course and where I was going to play conservatively, I guess it just brought my awareness and all that stuff to a heightened state, because you did have to be wary of more things on a difficult setup, compared to a regular tour event. So that served me well. And I think when I was playing well, you know, my game was about precision, accuracy and discipline. And I think those are good recipes for U.S. Opens.

Mike Gonzalez  05:39

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would Tom Meeks have been setting up the golf courses for the USGA back in this era?

Weir, Mike  05:46

Yes, he did set them up at least into the early 2000s. And then there was a change, I think, kind of mid 2000s.

Devlin, Bruce  05:57

Yeah, so you got to play The Open Championship, quite often something that a lot of your Canadian players before you never got a chance to do. You know, back then, you know, it wasn't official money and there was no exemption for it,  et cetera, so forth. But you got to play over there what, 12 times I believe. Finished in the top 10 times yeah. Did you enjoy that golf.

Weir, Mike  06:29

I did enjoy it. I mean, looking back it's a bit disappointing that I didn't play better in Open Championships because I really thought that would suit my game well. The first Open Championship was Carnoustie. I wasn't exempt. I flew over and qualified it of course, Monifieth Links, where you really had to think your way around. I didn't use my driver much in the qualifying. Played position, stayed out of the big trouble that was lurking there with fairway bunkers and things and got through the qualifying and first Open Championship at Carnoustie and what a test that was. And that was the year obviously with very, very deep, rough. Tough conditions. I remember making two triple bogeys the first round, trying to play safe, hitting it into the deep rough and actually just trying to play safe to get it back to the fairway like pitch it 20 yards and I whiffed it like a couple times or it came out too fast and went into the rough on the other side. On the other side. I was like man, you can't even play safe around here. But I shot an 83 the opening round, but came back and I was the last I think it was last or second last group on Friday. So of course you're finishing close to 8pm at night on Friday and I made about an eight foot putt for par on that 18th hole at Carnoustie to make the cut right on the nose. So I shot 83-71. think the cut was plus 12 which was one of the highest cuts I think ever but I was really proud of that second round to tmake the cut there and had a chance to play with Payne Stewart. It was only my second year on the PGA tour played with Payne on I believe the Saturday round maybe the Sunday round. That was a real thrill. But like I said, I think the Open Championship. You know, I think at Carnoustie the second time around, I had a pretty good finish maybe a top 10 there, but really was never in contention. And I remember always walking away just disappointed when I was flying home. I don't know what it was the change of pace on the greens, you know, obviously a lot most of the time a lot slower greens fees than the regular PGA Tour and the turf conditions a little bit firmer off the fairways. I just never adjusted well. So that was always a little bit disappointing to me.

Mike Gonzalez  08:50

During your prime years. Mike, did you have a chance to play much Links golf other than the Open Championship?

Weir, Mike  08:57

No, that's probably why I think again, looking back, maybe I should have gone over a little bit more and just maybe taken in a Scottish Open or something to prepare myself a little bit better. But again, you know that time of life, you know, my kids were really very young, you know, three and a one year old at the time, you know, if I think back to 2000 or 2001 .They were very little children and having a busy schedule, PGA tour schedule was like, Hey, you gotta have balance in your life and trying to try to do that as well. 

Mike Gonzalez  09:30

Well, you know, looking back on your record, I mean, you had a stretch where you played I guess probably 12 straight years in The Open Championship, which would have gotten you to probably most of the modern venues. I mean, this was before they brought Portrush into the mix but that had to be fun to to get around and play all those great courses. That first one of course that you were involved in, you might want to remind our listeners what happened at that Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Weir, Mike  09:56

Yeah, that was a crazy one obviously with you know, Jean van de Velde at the end and, I'll never forget the PGA Tour chartered a plane. And a bunch of us had, you know, left the Golf Course for the day. And we were on a bus to go to this charter. And we stopped at this little pub because we, you know, some of the guys I think Justin Leonard was still waiting, he was going to be on the plane, but we all went to get some food. And I remember sitting with Curtis Strange, and there was a bunch of other guys sitting around watching the TV as the tournament was unfolding at the end, and you know, we're all falling off our seats when he pulled the driver out. And then he obviously got a lucky break there. And you know, the things unfolded and Paul Laurie ends up winning in a playoff, so it was just, it was incredible. We'd really never seen anything like it and golf, but you know, he's Jean is such a great guy. He's such a wonderful guy. He's taken it better than most would have ever taken it. And it was a sad moment for him and a great moment for Paul in his home country. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  11:02

Well, it was good that Justin decided to wait because he ended up being the one year that everybody forgets was also in that playoff.

Weir, Mike  11:09

Right. Yeah, right. Exactly. Most people think it was just Jean and Paul, but Justin was right there as well.

Mike Gonzalez  11:14

A favorite Open venue? Which one would it be for you?

Weir, Mike  11:19

I think Muirfield. I think Muirfield is favorite. I love the Old Course. I mean, I do love the old course. But Muirfield was probably my favorite one.

Devlin, Bruce  11:27

Great track.

Mike Gonzalez  11:28

What you see is what you get. There's no trickery there. It's all out in front of you. Right. 

Devlin, Bruce  11:31

Great Track, 

Weir, Mike  11:32

Right.

Mike Gonzalez  11:33

Yeah. 

Weir, Mike  11:33

Right. I was caught. You know, talking about that round that Tiger kind of got blown away on that Friday round

Devlin, Bruce  11:41

He shoots 80 something.

Weir, Mike  11:43

 Yeah, I think he did. I think that was Friday. And I was probably in about the middle of course, when the storm really kind of blew up. And I remember that was one Open Championship that I was maybe one off the lead there midway through the second round, cruising along, and that weather came in and I hit a ball out of bounds on 17 I believe, with a big crosswind and kind of got going on the wind and took a hard bounce and went out of bounds by about this far and think I  made a triple bogey and, yeah.

Devlin, Bruce  12:13

Triples. You've got to stay away from those triples, Mike. 

Weir, Mike  12:16

Yeah, exactly.

Mike Gonzalez  12:18

Well, let's talk about the PGA Championship then because the record really identical. Eight cuts made in 12 starts in the PGA. Three top 10s. I think the first top 10 was when Tiger won it at Medinah in 1999.  

Weir, Mike  12:34

1999. Yes, again. Carnoustie was my first that was my first major championship, Carnoustie. And then the PGA following sorry, that was my second major championship, I qualified for the U.S. Open?  Yeah right. Pinehurst yeah. Yeah at Pinehurst. So, yeah, my first PGA Championship, second year on the PGA Tour, little backstory a couple of weeks previous I got my first chance to play with Tiger, the final round of the Western Open in Chicago. And I think he had maybe a three or four shot lead going into Sunday. I was in second, we played together. And I played really well that day. We had a great battle on Sunday. I think he ended up winning by two but in my head, I beat him for the day on the round. And so that's the way us golfers think, right?  You know we think okay, I can handle this guy. And you know what I wasn't ready for in that PGA Championship again, I was tied for the lead after 54 holes playing with Tiger. How different you know, kind of your body feels, how the crowd is different. And playing with Tiger in the final round of a major, you know, they're there to see him. So you have to be able to deal with a lot of movement, a lot of running around when you're trying to hit your shots. And early in that round, I just felt things were a little out of sorts. I three-putted the second hole. Walking to the third tee, the little laneway to go to the third hole, there was just throngs of people and Tiger was out in front of that. And I remember standing there and it it probably took me two minutes to get to the tee maybe a little bit longer. I mean, that's a long time in golf, You work your way through the crowds and you start to feel a little bit rushed and that's what happened on that day. And I learned a big lesson from that and you know when you're in contention, not only in a major but with Tiger, how you have to have security with you, you need people to I didn't have any of that someone to open the crowd up for you, all those sorts of things. But that week, I played great, but that was a real big learning moment because even after having a tough final round a few weeks later up in Canada at the Air Canada Championship, where I won my first PGA Tour event just a couple of weeks after that. Here I am, it was a kind of a major championship feel you know with me having a chance to win ainCanada my first event the crowds were very loud, very boisterous? And I was able to draw on that experience from just a few weeks earlier of like, how to settle down in the moment. And it was invaluable for me getting my first win.

Mike Gonzalez  13:23

Yeah. You know, we've talked about that so much, Mike, with these other great players about how these experiences, they just sort of build on one another. And you never know when you might draw on that thing that you just picked up a few weeks ago about how to behave, how to manage your body, your mind, whatever it might be.

Weir, Mike  15:27

Yeah, yeah, no doubt. And that was, that was a huge, huge moment for me. So yeah, the PGA's, I think Medinah in particular, I played well, I played well there. And then the next time it was back, I played well, there again. So it was,

Devlin, Bruce  15:40

And same guy won that next time back too.

Mike Gonzalez  15:45

Well he was winning a lot back then. Yeah, but unlike me, and my Chicago friends won't like me for saying this. But I lived there for 30 years and had a chance to play often at Medinah when, during the longest day of the year, we'd go out there and play all three courses. Number three was never one of my favorites. 

Weir, Mike  16:05

Oh, really? Well, it's got a big change. And it's got a big change. Now. I mean, Geoff Ogilvy has done a complete redesign. So interested to see that.

Mike Gonzalez  16:14

Well, obviously you didn't mind it because in 1999 a good finish. I mean, tough finish at the end. But you know, as you said, shared the 54 hole lead and then 2006. You got another top 10 there. So PGA again, just they're all different, aren't they all the majors? 

Weir, Mike  16:34

Yeah, they are there. They all are different. And, you know, back then, I mean, that tournament was always in August, you know, it's a different date. Now. In August, it was it was always so hot. Normally, where we played greens were a little bit more attackable. You had to keep watering them. It seems like that to keep them quite soft. And it was kind of a major that you had to play a bit more aggressively compared to maybe a U.S. Open or for the Masters. You know, the scores always seemed to reflect that you had to get probably somewhere in the mid teens to high teens under par to have a chance to win. 

Mike Gonzalez  17:11

Talking to the guys of Bruce's vintage we talk about playing in the heat of of August at the end of a long season. And a lot of these guys we talked to they said, you know by then we were tired. 

Devlin, Bruce  17:22

Exhausted. 

Mike Gonzalez  17:24

They were driving in and out on the road for weeks and weeks at a time and they were just tired.

Devlin, Bruce  17:30

Yeah, no buying time on jets back in those days. That's for sure.

Mike Gonzalez  17:37

Those Greyhound buses take it out of you. Well, let's talk a little bit, having talked about the majors, let's talk a little bit about team play. Because you had an opportunity for a number of years to represent Canada in the World Cup.

Weir, Mike  17:53

Yeah. It was always an honor to play in the World Cup. It didn't work out every year that I got to play, but when I did, I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed team competition. I think it brought me back to that time when I was, you know, a kid playing team sports. Yeah. And to represent your country, you know, I was able to represent it as an amateur as well and in a couple of team competitions and so to do it as a pro was,

Devlin, Bruce  18:17

Six times as a pro, right? 

Weir, Mike  18:20

Yeah, six times as a pro. You know, you put the Maple Leaf on and getting out there was great. And got to play some great venues. You know, I remember playing in Argentina when the Argentinians gave Tiger and somebody else a great run and Japan one time again, Tiger he chipped in on that 18th hole to go into a playoff which was great. And it was great to see the different cultures around the world. It was great to play the World Cup when it was going on.

Mike Gonzalez  18:52

Bruce had a chance to run up against the Argentinians back in 1970.

Devlin, Bruce  18:59

I played the World Cup there in 1970 in Buenos Aires, and we were paired with Roberto De Vicenzo and his partner the last day and I hit a pretty nice drive down the first hole, sort of right center of the fairway. And when I got down there, I couldn't find my ball. It was in the rough under the tree. So, we decided then that we're going to send our caddies out in front of us. 

Weir, Mike  19:29

Yeah., that's a smart move.

Devlin, Bruce  19:31

We ended up winning the tournament and I think David ended up beating De Vicenzo by a shot for the individual title as well. So it was a great experience for us. That was 1970.

Weir, Mike  19:44

A little bit of funny business. I've heard that over in Asia that that happened back in the day.

Mike Gonzalez  19:50

Well, let's talk Presidents Cup. You know, you're one of only what six or seven guys that have probably scored as many points as you've scored across your appearances in the President's Cup. Mike Weir appeared as a player five times. He's been Assistant Captain three times. Most recently, he will be the Captain of the 2024 team that will be close to home andinCanada. We're going to talk a little bit about that. But let's first talk as a player because you had your first chance back at the well, at the height of Tiger mania, I guess that crazy year he had in 2000 was your first year competing, wasn't it?

Weir, Mike  20:30

It was and what a thrill that was at the Robert Trent Jones cCub. You know, what I remember is that I was still pretty early in my PGA Tour career. This was my, I guess, third full year on the tour. And I didn't really know a lot of our top guys very well at all. Greg Norman and Steve Elkington and Ernie Els and Frank Nobilo. And some of these guys that I just didn't know. And so to be on this team with them, I remember feeling a bit out of place. Did I belong, you know, I asked myself that question, Did I belong? And quickly, I remember telling myself that you know, it's not the right attitude you have to have. You have to believe that you belong here and you have to show up for these guys. It's a team competition and what a great experience I get to play with with Nick a couple of times Price, who you know

Devlin, Bruce  21:25

Hw was a hell of a player. 

Weir, Mike  21:27

Yeah, heck of a player. Outside of Ben Hogan as far as swing wise, as we've talked in the past about technique. Those were the two guys that I studied once I started understanding the golf swing a little bit more was was studying Nick and Ben Hogan. So for me to get paired with Nick and for him to take me under his wing a little bit and show me the ropes made me feel comfortable. It was just an awesome experience, not only for that week, but for my career going forward, I gained so much confidence from that first Presidents Cup. You know, Nick and I playing some of the top guys in the U.S. We played Mickelson, who I think was number two in the world and Duval three or vice versa. Tiger was obviously probably number one. But Nick and I taking those guys on and beating them quite handily, gave me a lot of confidence. And then the singles, I played Phil in the singles and beat him quite handily in the singles that first year. So that gave me just a ton of confidence walking away from that week I was going, I'm starting to become in my mind starting to become a world class player now and can compete with anybody. And actually, Peter Thompson was our Captain there. And he gave me a couple of great words that really boosted my confidence going forward after that week and was a big supporter of mine. Kind of from that week going forward. So that was really special.

Mike Gonzalez  22:47

I mean, speaking of Captain some great early Captains. Of course we've talked about these guys before. David Graham, the D.O.G. being the first Presidents Cup Captain, who Bruce knows very, very well and then three years with Peter Thompson, three competition with Peter Thompson, three competitions with Gary Player. So you got to play for some pretty good captains.

Weir, Mike  23:08

I played for some great captains you know that first year Peter Thompson and the next three with Gary. Gary was really special and you know, formed great relationships with those guys. I have a great relationship with Gary and, you know, great men and great leaders. And you know, that first Presidents Cup was great, but the next few were incredible. The next one was probably my favorite Presidents Cup of all time. Up to this point so far. I was going down to Africa, South Africa to tsee that competition on a great venue and the way it played out with Ernie and Tiger in a playoff and Jack and Gary, shaking hands. I mean, it was just an incredible competition and great spirit of the game there. It was. It was amazing.

Devlin, Bruce  23:55

That was tied right that year.

Weir, Mike  23:58

Yeah, we tied. We tied. I mean, Ernie and Tiger were in a playoff and I've never been that nervous, and I wasn't even hitting a shot, in my whole life. I was so nervous just walking around because it's out of your hands and walking with Adam Scott. And we were just all just, you know, we were kind of grabbing each other's arms and just like every putt they had or shot we were just like please, you know, because it was so much pressure on Ernie being in South Africa especially, to have to carry our team and, he did a phenomenal job obviously he played great. What's talked about that event a lot are the two putts Tiger and Ernie made in the dark, but you know the whole previous to that, that's when they called the competition after Ernie made the putt to halve Tiger and then the competition was tied because it was too dark. But the hole before, Ernie hit it over the green on the first hole and it went over and down the slope and the pin was in the back, he had short-sided himself and hit this deft chip that bumped into the hill, hopped up, checked and rolled down. It was just in the moment and in that pressure that that touch and nerve that he had to hit that pitch was incredible. So there was a lot of moments that just really stand out in that one for me.

Mike Gonzalez  25:14

I just remember all the photos from that at the end, just they're all black. They're all in the dark weren't they?

Weir, Mike  25:20

It was and that par three was down. And it was an elevated tee shot down into a little area. So, of course, darker down in there. And yeah, it was a little bit of obviously mismanagement with the tee times. I mean, we should have probably gone a little earlier just in case it was tied, and then we'd of  had more daylight. But anyways, it was a great competition.

Devlin, Bruce  25:40

So you were assistant captain three times. Right, Nick Price and Els and Immelmann in 2022. And now, you're about to become the leader for next year. 

Weir, Mike  25:53

Yeah. 

Devlin, Bruce  25:54

Has that been a different set of circumstances for you, I'm sure.

Weir, Mike  26:00

Yeah, Bruce, it's been, it's been great. I mean, the last year has already been quite busy. You know, there's a lot of logistics that are going on behind the scenes. When I started back in 2000, there weren't all the things that the players have. Now we have this great big team cabin on the Golf Course that you want to have outfitted for all the guys. There's got to be the proper gym equipment, you have all the right messaging on the walls for the guys, the hotel has to have, we want it to be very comfortable for them. So it's a lot of that behind the scenes things that the clothing the analytics, which is another part, we have an analytics team, so a lot of consulting with them. So you look 20 years ago, there's a lot more to do now. So we've been trying to take care of that this past year, and in this current year coming up, but it'll be more about the players and who's playing well. And as a team starts to form and see who's rounding into form, you know, we have the top six players make it off the world ranking. And then we'll have six picks. So keeping a close eye on a lot of players, and I'll be leaning on a lot of a lot of guys, my assistant captains, when I name them to consult and decide who's going to make our best team and round out our team.

Mike Gonzalez  27:21

So educate our listeners on the picking process, then Mike. Is it totally your call? I mean, I know you'll accept input from your co-captains and so forth. But at the end of the day, does it fall in your lap to make the choice?

Weir, Mike  27:35

Yeah, it falls on my lap. Definitely I'll consult that's why you have these. He tried to have great guys around you, which I will and you know, we'll we'll talk through it all. But at the end of the day, yeah, it's my call for the six guys. 

Mike Gonzalez  27:48

And you mentioned it's a PGA TOUR event.

Weir, Mike  27:51

Yeah, it is. It is a PGA TOUR event. So it's unlike the Ryder Cup, where is PGA of America and the European PGA Tour. This is strictly a PGA TOUR-run event. So they do a great job. It's already some of the infrastructure has always already been put in. Now we're in Quebec, so the weather this winter, they they pretty much have to stop building, you know, a lot of the grandstands this time of year. But they got a lot of the infrastructure in before the snow and ice and, you know, come spring, I'll be back up there and take a look at the Golf Course a little bit more. That's another thing we've done quite a bit of work on is, you know, set up with a Golf Course and looking at the Golf Course,

Devlin, Bruce  28:30

Cutting patterns and stuff like that.

Weir, Mike  28:33

Yeah, exactly.

Mike Gonzalez  28:36

Thank you for listening to another episode of FORE the Good of the Game.  And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word and tell your friends. Until we tee it up again FORE the Good of the Game, so long, everybody.

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