Mike Report Day 3 at the Bell Canadian Open
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:09:08
I actually felt as if I hit it pretty well in the third round, probably better than the first two rounds. I kept the ball in a lot of fairways and reached a fair number of greens. I will admit that my putter wasn't as hot as it was the first two days and that's why I didn't score as well.
A lot of times when you're putting from the light into the shadow, it can be tough to get a good read on the putts and because I teed off at 1:45 p.m., I had a lot of those kinds of putts. I seemed to leave a few just short.
But I'd much rather have a day like today where it's a steady round and I'm making a lot of pars with two putts, than one where I'm scrambling and putting a lot of pressure on my putter. Call it a stress-free round.
I made just two birdies - one on a chip in and the other on the final hole. That last one was especially pleasing since I decided to lay up with my second shot. I was actually between yardages there. I had 225 to the pin and I wasn't sure if three-iron was enough. I knew if I hit five-wood, I'd be back behind the green and I didn't want to end up there. I hit a wedge to about four feet and sank the putt. It was a nice way to end the day.
It was remarkable to see the crowds out at Glen Abbey on Saturday. The ovations I was getting just about every step of the way really buoyed me. It was something else! All week it's been like that and I can't thank every fan out there enough for their support.
On Saturday night, my wife and my two daughters are coming in so that will be a good way for me to relax in the hours leading up to the start of the final round. I can't wait to see my girls and have some fun (Of course I'm also going to try and watch some of the World Cup hockey game!). I also won't have any trouble sleeping with the family around.
Then I'll have to get focused on the final round. I know I have a chance to win this tournament and to end the 50-year drought for Canadians in this championship. Believe me, no one would like to do that more than me.
But I can't get caught up in that right now. I have to focus on my game plan and keep playing the way I have. If I start thinking about what could happen, it probably won't happen.
There are still a lot of guys who can win this tournament and I expect Glen Abbey will be extremely tough again for the final 18.
I know when I stand up on the first tee on Sunday that I'll have some nerves. I think you'd have to check me for a pulse if there weren't any nerves. To me, this is just about as close as you can come to a major without it actually being a major. But I've had experience in those, I've been down the stretch and I can draw on that.
I just want to go out, play a relaxed round and try to enjoy myself. If I can do that, you just never know what might happen.
As always, thanks for your support.
Mike Weir
