Weir gets back in the swing on PGA Tour
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 Brights Grove, 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 Moose Jaw, Sask., who finished second in 2017.
Weir, the 2003 Masters winner, has relied 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 2014.
Since t hen, Weir has missed 25 cuts and withdrawn five times on the PGA Tour. Despite setbacks and injuries, the 47- year- old shows no signs of giving up.
“My game feels good,” Weir said during a telephone interview. “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. Weir admitted he’s battling a knee injury after “landing funny” while walking a course in South Africa last week. He’ll get an MRI on his right knee 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.
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 — a PGA Tour feeder — by finishing in the top 25 on the money list.
The Web. com Tour has a category for longtime PGA Tour members who are 48 to 49. Weir will take advantage of those spots after he turns 48 on May 12, “but I’d like to play some events before May comes along,” he said. “Not only for prep for Augusta, but if I end up focusing on the Web. com Tour come May, I don’t want to be too far behind when that date comes along to try to secure a spot in the top 25.”