Calcavecchia ‘claws’ way to top

Jesper Parnevik fashioned an early 66 to sit by himself in third place, but Chris DiMarco couldn’t do any better than a 70.

Canadian Mike Weir started his round the way he finished his previous Canadian Open, the hugely disappointing playoff loss to Singh at Glen Abbey last year. Seeking a solid start, Weir instead missed almost every fairway he saw on the front nine and posted a five- over 40, a score that had reporters scrambling to find out the last time he posted an 80 on tour ( 2000 at the Players Championship, when he carded an 84). But Weir did a reverse spin on the back nine, notching pars on the first four holes and then dialing in for four birdies over the last five. That gave him perhaps the most unusual 71 of his career.

“ It’s just resilience,” Weir said. “ I’ve done that since I played the Canadian Tour, since I played over in Asia, since I played wherever, Australia. You’ve just got to battle back.”

Weir’s keel isn’t always even. But his ability to dismiss painful failures is a trait that does him a world of good.

“ If you hang your head and sulk, it ( a turnaround) isn’t going to happen and you’re going to shoot 80,” he said. “ I’m glad it turned out the way it did with a little bonus on the last hole making that long one ( a 38- foot putt on the 18th that had him shaking his fist with delight).” Weir was one of 16 Canadians who teed it up yesterday. The best of the bunch was Ian Leggatt of Cambridge, who shot 70. Adam Short of Vineland, Ont., a 27-year-old who has been struggling on the Canadian Tour, tied Weir with a 71, while Brantford’s David Hearn was at 72 and Jon Mills of Oshawa carded a 73.