Height: 5' 9" Special Interests: Hockey, fly fishing, skiing
Weight: 155 lbs. Turned Pro: 1992
Birthdate: May 12, 1970 Joined PGA Tour: 1998
Birthplace: Sarnia, Ontario
Residence: SANDY, Utah
Wife: Bricia
Children: Elle Marisa (12/19/1997), Lili (4/3/2000)
It's a long, improbable road from childhood dreams on the local golf course in Sarnia, Ontario to winning the Masters, but Mike Weir has lived it, and in the process, has become a Canadian sports hero.
Like most young Canadians, Weir first dreamed of playing professional hockey, but his fate changed when he picked up his first golf club. His determination, first seen as he spent entire days in the summer hitting balls at Huron Oaks under the mentorship of Steve Bennett, and then later as a star on the Brigham Young University golf team, helped him achieve great success in the early years of his professional career on the Canadian Tour, where he won Rookie of the Year Honours in 1993 and led the Order of Merit in 1997, before reaching the PGA Tour in 1998.
In 1999, Weir won his first PGA Tour title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship with a two-stroke victory over Fred Funk, becoming the first Canadian to win on Tour since Richard Zokol won the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open and the first Canadian to win on native soil since Pat Fletcher won the 1954 Canadian Open. In 2000, Weir became the first Canadian to play in the President's Cup, where he led the international team with a 3-2-0 record. Mike made his fifth consecutive President's Cup appearance in 2009. He was named to the President's Cup team in 2003, 2005, and 2007, where he won the final match play round over Tiger Woods, on Canadian soil. Weir would go on to win four more tournaments on the PGA Tour before the defining moment of his career to date at the 2003 Masters.
Weir emerged as one of the game's brightest stars with his Masters victory, a dramatic playoff win over Len Mattiace, and came back to a hero's welcome in Canada, which included him dropping the ceremonial face-off at a Toronto Maple Leafs playoff game, the perfect ‘Canadian-style' celebration for the hockey fan Weir.
His breakthrough year on the PGA Tour earned him the 2003 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of the year and the Lionel Conacher Award, given to Canada's top male athlete of the year, an award he previously won in 2000 and 2001.
Weir has used his success as a professional golfer as a platform for helping other families in need with the creation of the Mike Weir Foundation in 2004. Mike launched a national fundraising program through his foundation, called the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids, supporting Children's Miracle Network. The first Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive tournament in 2007, held at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ontario, raised $562,000 for the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario. The 2008 tournament raised an astonishing $1.82 million for the Children's Health & Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. This year's tournament, benefitting the IWK Health Centre, took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 31st to September 1st, 2009.
On a national level, Weir's success and contributions through charitable work have attributed to two Order of Canada inductions (2007,2009). In 2009, Weir also become an inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Mike Weir has enjoyed success in golf unmatched by any other Canadian, but in his mind, there is still plenty of work to do when your goal is to be one of the best in the world.
Career Highlights
2009
Mike began the 2009 season with a T3 finish at the Bob Hope Classic, which was shorty followed by his best finish of the year, 2nd place at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Mike accumulated six top ten finishes, placing him 34th on the Official World Golf Rankings list. 2009 marked Mike's fifth straight appearance in the President's Cup where he recorded an individual record of 2-2-1. Mike's charitable contributions during the 2009 year were most notable, including the third annual Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids event, which was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mike's greatest achievement's away from the course were his Order of Canada honours and his induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
2008
Mike had a very strong year in 2008 as he finished second in both the Memorial Tournament and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Mike had five top 5 finishes that year, placing him 21st on the Official World Golf Ranking List. For the second time in Mike's career, he competed in the TELUS World Skins Game, held in British Columbia.
In January of 2008, Mike signed a five year agreement with Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, making Thomson Reuters, Mike's title sponsor.
2007
2007 marked an important year in Mike's career as he won his 8th career victory at the Fry's Electronics Open, which tied him with the late George Knudson for most PGA Tour victories by a Canadian. Earlier that year, Mike had an impressive showing at the Presidents Cup, where he defeated Tiger Woods in a final day match-up in Montreal, to win the tournament.
In the summer of 2007, Mike launched a national fundraising program through his foundation, called the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids, supporting Children's Miracle Network. With the help of the community, Mike and his family helped raise $685,000 for children's health care in Canada.
Later that summer it was announced that Mike would receive the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor.
2006
Mike posted a T5 finish at Bob Hope Chrysler Classic for first top-10 since T5 at the 2005 Masters. He also held the solo 36-hole and shared 54-hole lead (with Arron Oberholser) at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, but a closing 6-over 78 dropped him to T3. Mike has posted six top-10s in nine starts at Pebble Beach, including six in seven years.
Mike finished T9 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he defeated Stewart Cink and Bernhard Langer before falling to eventual champion Geoff Ogilvy in the third round. He posted his fourth top-10 of the season with a T6 at the Shell Houston Open. The four top-10s double his output for 2005. It also pushed him over the $1-million mark in earnings for the fourth straight season.
During the PGA Championship Mike was within one shot of eventual champion Tiger Woods, but finished with a 1-over 73, seven strokes back of the lead.
2005
Mike finished in the top ten for the fifth time in his last six appearances at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He also collected his sixth career runner-up finish, four strokes behind Phil Mickelson and fired the only round in the 60s (5-under 67) during Sunday's final round. The 2003 Masters champion rebounded from a missed cut in 2004 with T5 finish in Augusta. He also compiled a 2-2-0 record at The Presidents Cup, including a 3-and-2 singles victory over Scott Verplank.
2004
In third start of season, picked up his first top-10, a T5, at the FBR Open. Followed with another top-5 finish (T4) the next week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am...Started the final round with a five-stroke lead and survived a rainy final round at Riviera to successfully defend his Nissan Open title. He won his previous six PGA TOUR events from behind and was 0-for-5 with a 54-hole lead, closed with an even-par 71 and became the first back-to-back winner at Riviera since Corey Pavin in 1994-95. Becomes the second-winningest left-hander in PGA TOUR history with seven career wins, surpassing Bob Charles' six victories. Phil Mickelson leads in this category with 22 wins...Posted back-to-back top-10s at the U.S. Open with his T4 finish (T3 in 2003). Then posted back-to-back top10s in a major with a T9 at the British Open in Scotland. Sixth career top-10 in a major in 22 appearances and fifth in last seven tries...Finished as runner-up at the Bell Canadian Open. His best finish and just the second top-10 in 14 starts in his national Open. Playoff record dropped to 3-2.
2003
Mike had a breakthrough season on TOUR with three wins, including his first major championship title at the Masters. Missed just one cut all season for the fist time in his career. Fifth-place finish on money list and earnings over $4.8 million were career bests. Claimed fourth PGA TOUR title at Bob Hope Chrysler. Won for second time in four events at the Nissan Open, finishing strong with a final-round 5-under 66. Named PGA TOUR Player of the Month for February. Winner of West Coast Swing, earning a bonus of $500,000. Captured his first major championship victory at the Masters. After recording just the fourth bogey-free final-round by a winner in the 67-year history of the Masters, defeated Len Mattiace in a playoff on the first extra hole. Became first lefthander since Bob Charles at the 1963 British Open to win a major. Also became the first Canadian to win a major and the first Canadian to win three times in a season. Finished season third in scoring average behind Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. Earned spot on Presidents Cup's International Team.
2002
Mike Weir played 25 PGA TOUR events in 2002. He had 11 top 25 finishes, and only 3 missed cuts. Mike fired a 63 to open his 2002 season with a course record at the Mercedes Chamionship. This season was the 5th consecutive year that Mike participated in the Telus Skins Game. He also hosted two charity events, the Mike Weir / Dino Ciccarelli Charity Classic and the Globe and Mail Mike Weir Charity Classic, in which he helped to raise over $160,000 combined. Mike finished the season ranked 42nd in World Rankings, and 78th on the money list, having earned $844,154.
2001
Mike Weir vaulted to the top 10 in the World Rankings with his victory at the 2001 PGA Tour championship. Mike's victory in a playoff over David Toms, Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els was his first on American soil. His 2001 season included two runner-up finishes at the Genuity Championship and the Bell South Classic, along with 4 other top 10 finishes. Was awarded 2001 Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year award.
2000
Won the final event of the 2000 PGA Tour season with a victory at the World Golf Championship's in Spain, defeating a world class field including Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Vijay Singh. Finished the season ranked 6th on the money list and 21st in the World Rankings. Became the first Canadian to play in the Presidents Cup, where he led the International Team with a 3-2-0 record. Was awarded 2000 Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year award.
1999
Won first PGA Tour title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship after rounds of 68-70-64-64, which produced a two-stroke victory. The key to victory was an eagle-2 from 147 yards on No. 14 during final round. First Canadian to win on native soil since Pat Fletcher won the 1954 Canadian Open. First Canadian to win on Tour since Richard Zokol won the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open.
1998
Won the 1998 PGA Tour Q-School after finishing the 1998 PGA season 131st on the money list. Very successful on the Canadian Tour, led Order of Merit in 1997 after winning BC Tel Pacific Open and Canadian Masters (record 18-under par). Led the Canadian Tour with 69.29 scoring average in 1997.
Early Years
Named Canadian Tour Rookie of the Year in 1993 after winning the Infinity Tournament Players Championship. Won the 1990 and 1992 Ontario Amateur Championship. Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Second Team All-American in 1992 while attending BYU. Winner of the 1988 Ontario Junior Championship and the 1986 Canadian Juvenile Championship.
