Weir not giving up on pro golf career
Canadian playing in California PGA event this week
After spending the last year playing golf in such places as Italy, Morocco, Fiji, Australia and South Africa, Canadian Mike Weir returns to the PGA Tour this week for the first time since last year’s RBC Canadian Open.
Weir, of Sarnia, Ont., is a past champion at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif. He’s in the field on a sponsor exemption alongside six other Canadians including Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., who finished second in 2017.
Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, has been relying on special invitations to earn starts on the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia since he has limited status on the PGA Tour. His tie for 15th at the Australian PGA Championship in November was his best result since a tie for 21st at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur in 2014.
Since that 2014 result, Weir has missed 25 cuts and withdrawn five times on the PGA Tour. Despite setbacks and injuries, the 47-yearold shows no signs of giving up.
“My game feels good,” Weir said. “Since Australia, I had a month off.
“Last week was OK. I shook off a little rust. I was a little bit inconsistent, but overall I feel good, there’s a lot of power back in my swing again.”
Weir said he’s not doing anything differently to get stronger, but is working on his flexibility. As he gets older, Weir said keeping his back strong is key — otherwise he’s working mostly on core strength and stability.
Weir admitted he’s battling a knee injury after “landing funny” while walking a course in South Africa early last week. He’ll get an MRI on his right knee at the end of this week, but his doctor said he wouldn’t do any further damage if he played.
Weir captured the 2003 CareerBuilder Challenge as part of a three-win season — including the Masters — en route to being named the Lou Marsh Award winner as Canada’s athlete of the year. He’s the last golfer to win the honour.
Although Weir doesn’t tee it up as often these days, he remains a beacon for golf in the country, according to Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.
“(Weir) continues to be such an example for Canadians from coast to coast with his work ethic and his commitment and his warrior mentality out on the golf course,” Applebaum said. “He’s in phenomenal shape and has a great balance in life going.
“I know that next chapter, which includes a really strong push on the PGA Tour, is what he’s trying to write and Golf Canada is behind him through and through.”
Weir said he’d be interested in playing on the Web.com Tour — a PGA Tour feeder — and is hopeful for some exemptions this spring leading into the Masters.
Weir hasn’t earned official money on the PGA Tour since 2014. But he remains focused on earning a PGA Tour card via the Web.com Tour by finishing in the top 25 on the money list — something Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., did last year.