Mike Report Day One at the Bell Canadian Open

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:55:12

"My first round was a pretty good one considering the tough conditions in Hamilton on Thursday. I drove the ball well for the most part and also hit a lot of solid iron shots. But the wind was really tough and when that happens, you have to accept that you'll have some shots go off-line. You hit a shot expecting the wind to hold your ball up and then it switches and you're through the green or into the rough.

However, overall, I'm happy with a 69. It's a good start and something to build on.

I think a lot of guys were a little surprised at how tough the course played today. It's playing more difficult than it has all week -even when I came to play a practice round here a few months ago, it was a piece of cake. I think I shot six or seven under. At that time, the course was firm and there wasn't much rough. But it's amazing how much a golf course can change. Now the rough is very deep. It's kind of wet and waxy. The fairways are starting to run, which means it's tougher to keep the ball in them.

The bottom line is the course is playing like a Canadian Open should - it's playing like a national championship.
I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring although the forecast is for calmer conditions. Still, there's plenty of teeth here at Ancaster to deal with even without the wind.

I will admit that by the time my round was ending, I was getting a little tired. Not only was there the mental strain of trying to figure out the wind and pull the right club, but my back got a little tired. After the round, I didn't hit a lot of balls like I usually do. I just did a little fine-tuning and then had the boys in the fitness trailer give it a working over so it will be ready for tomorrow.

One of the great things about my round on Thursday was the crowd. It was just tremendous and that made it a lot of fun out there. It was kind of electric out there - it was almost like the final round of a major championship. When I stepped on to the first tee just before 8 a.m., I was blown away by how many fans and cameras were there. It reminded me of Sunday at a major. It's something that I'm going to have to handle that the other guys in the field won't have to deal with so I'm looking at that as a challenge.

The fans today were unbelievable. I couldn't believe the ovation I got walking up 18 - it was really fun. That's a great little bowl with everybody around the green and it was a fantastic way to finish off the day.

As always, thanks for your support.

Mike Weir
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