Weir, Fritsch offer Web.Com Tour a twist, John Grainger writes.
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Two Canadian PGA veterans will tee it up this week on the Web.Com Tour. Mike Weir, winner of the 2003 Masters, and Brad Fritsch are both playing in the BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina. TSN’s Bob Weeks reports that Weir, who recently turned 48, is using a Web.Com exemption clause that will allow him to play regularly on tour the rest of the season. Weir hopes to play well enough to earn back a PGA Tour card before he turns 50 and can join the Champions Tour. Fritsch, meanwhile, is making his first start after serving his PGA suspension for inadvertently taking a substance banned by the tour. He was taking it for a weight-loss program and called the penalty on himself when he realized his error. So, it will be two starts this week for two standup Canadians.
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You had to feel for Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Hadwin last week at The Players Championship. Hughes got the short straw on Saturday when he was paired with Tiger Woods, who just happened to shoot lights-out and rocket up the leaderboard with a 65 and electrified the tournament. Hughes shot a very respectable 68 amid the furor surrounding Tiger. Hadwin, meanwhile, played his Saturday round with Masters winner Patrick Reed. However, he just couldn’t gain traction on either day of the weekend. Both Hughes and Hadwin finished T57.
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This week, Canadian Nick Taylor hopes for better things after a MDF last week at The Players. After making the cut to play the weekend, he tossed two balls into the water on Saturday at TPC Sawgrass and shot a quadruple bogey on No. 17 and followed that with a double bogey on 18. Ouch. That nasty finish ruined any chance for a decent payday and left him on the outside of the ropes for Sunday’s round. Taylor, along with fellow Canadians David Hearn, Ben Silverman and Corey Conners, are in the field this week at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, Texas.
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The LPGA is back at it this weekend for the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia. Five Canadians are in the field starting with Brooke Henderson. Others include AnneCatherine Tanguay, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Brittany Marchand and Alena Sharp.
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The senior circuit returns to action this weekend at the Regions Tradition being played in muggy Birmingham, Ala. Canadians Stephen Ames and Rod Spittle are in the field.