Mike Weir is not the best golfer in the world.
He's not the biggest or fastest or longest. And he knows it better than anyone.
"I wish I was a lot better, but I am what I am," he says with candor surprising for a Tour pro. "I think my grit puts me over the edge."
That grit, of course, helped the 37-year-old break through in the first place, rising to 5th in the World Ranking after winning the 2003 Masters. All of Canada stomped its heels for its native son, but he barely had time to enjoy the view from the top before his game dipped south.
At the 2004 Canadian Open, a fan slapped him on the back, causing an injury that would plague him for three years. He missed six cuts in a span of seven starts in 2005. He played well in spurts but couldn't close in 2006, shooting a final-round 78 at Pebble Beach (T3) and a 79 at the Players Championship (T22). Critics said he wasn't working hard enough. It seemed his best days were behind him.
But the Sarnia, Ontario native is on an upswing.
He defeated Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup last fall, sending his grateful nation back into delirium, then went on to break a three-year winless streak with a late-season victory at the Fry's Electronics Open in Scottsdale.
His confidence and health restored, Weir weighs in on Tiger's trash talking, his Augusta beer blast, and why '08 could be great.
Golf Magazine: You had a great 2007 and you're starting the climb back to the top, but you slipped to nearly 50th in the World Ranking in 2006. What happened?
Weir: I had two compressed discs in my lower neck. (So) I started making compensations in my swing. I developed some bad habits and wasn't able to practice much because it hurt. I've always been a guy who likes to practice a lot, who needs to practice a lot. (But suddenly) I could barely turn my head to the right.
GM: And this happened because some fan in a hockey jersey slapped you on the back in the last round of the 2004 Canadian Open, right?
Weir: He didn't really slap me. He kind of grabbed me around the neck and my right shoulder. I was slightly jogging down a hill, and my momentum was going forward, and he grabbed me by the neck and shoulder area and pulled me back. I could feel it getting worse just standing there.
GM: Then you three-putted from 10 feet on 16, missed a five-foot birdie putt to win on the second hole of sudden death, and lost the '04 Canadian Open to Vijay Singh. Any lessons learned?
Weir: The thing with the fan broke my concentration more than anything. I learned to be prepared for anything.
GM: Got a message for the guy?
Weir: I couldn't pick him out of a crowd. The guy had obviously had a few too many adult beverages. I'd made a birdie on 10, and he got caught up in the moment and thought it was football or hockey. There are a lot of my friends that he probably wouldn't like to see.
GM: Isn't it true that your back got so bad that your wife had to tie your shoes?
Weir: That's when it started creeping into my lower back, toward the end of 2005. The toughest part for me was not being able to practice. In hindsight I should have taken six months off and sought out the appropriate rehab with chiropractic, which I do now, and massage therapy, and get an MRI, which I finally did at the end of 2006.
GM: Your back is feeling better, but is there mental scarring?
Weir: I don't think so. You have great moments, like Augusta, and some others, like the final round at the '99 PGA, playing in the last group with Tiger and shooting 80. I put it behind me and three weeks later I won my first event (at the Air Canada Championship). I've always been able to move on from setbacks. (Losing the 2004 Canadian Open) wasn't any tougher than some of the Q schools I missed by one or two shots.
"I wish I was a lot better, but I am what I am," he says with candor surprising for a Tour pro. "I think my grit puts me over the edge."
That grit, of course, helped the 37-year-old break through in the first place, rising to 5th in the World Ranking after winning the 2003 Masters. All of Canada stomped its heels for its native son, but he barely had time to enjoy the view from the top before his game dipped south.
At the 2004 Canadian Open, a fan slapped him on the back, causing an injury that would plague him for three years. He missed six cuts in a span of seven starts in 2005. He played well in spurts but couldn't close in 2006, shooting a final-round 78 at Pebble Beach (T3) and a 79 at the Players Championship (T22). Critics said he wasn't working hard enough. It seemed his best days were behind him.
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| March 2008 |
He defeated Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup last fall, sending his grateful nation back into delirium, then went on to break a three-year winless streak with a late-season victory at the Fry's Electronics Open in Scottsdale.
His confidence and health restored, Weir weighs in on Tiger's trash talking, his Augusta beer blast, and why '08 could be great.
Golf Magazine: You had a great 2007 and you're starting the climb back to the top, but you slipped to nearly 50th in the World Ranking in 2006. What happened?
Weir: I had two compressed discs in my lower neck. (So) I started making compensations in my swing. I developed some bad habits and wasn't able to practice much because it hurt. I've always been a guy who likes to practice a lot, who needs to practice a lot. (But suddenly) I could barely turn my head to the right.
GM: And this happened because some fan in a hockey jersey slapped you on the back in the last round of the 2004 Canadian Open, right?
Weir: He didn't really slap me. He kind of grabbed me around the neck and my right shoulder. I was slightly jogging down a hill, and my momentum was going forward, and he grabbed me by the neck and shoulder area and pulled me back. I could feel it getting worse just standing there.
GM: Then you three-putted from 10 feet on 16, missed a five-foot birdie putt to win on the second hole of sudden death, and lost the '04 Canadian Open to Vijay Singh. Any lessons learned?
Weir: The thing with the fan broke my concentration more than anything. I learned to be prepared for anything.
GM: Got a message for the guy?
Weir: I couldn't pick him out of a crowd. The guy had obviously had a few too many adult beverages. I'd made a birdie on 10, and he got caught up in the moment and thought it was football or hockey. There are a lot of my friends that he probably wouldn't like to see.
GM: Isn't it true that your back got so bad that your wife had to tie your shoes?
Weir: That's when it started creeping into my lower back, toward the end of 2005. The toughest part for me was not being able to practice. In hindsight I should have taken six months off and sought out the appropriate rehab with chiropractic, which I do now, and massage therapy, and get an MRI, which I finally did at the end of 2006.
GM: Your back is feeling better, but is there mental scarring?
Weir: I don't think so. You have great moments, like Augusta, and some others, like the final round at the '99 PGA, playing in the last group with Tiger and shooting 80. I put it behind me and three weeks later I won my first event (at the Air Canada Championship). I've always been able to move on from setbacks. (Losing the 2004 Canadian Open) wasn't any tougher than some of the Q schools I missed by one or two shots.
