The eagle has landed: Mike Weir recalls decade-old miracle shot at Air Canada Championship

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER - It was the shot that defined the Air Canada Championship, one that Lower Mainland golf fans still talk about 10 years later.

Mike Weir certainly hasn't forgotten. How could he?

When that eagle landed on Northview's 14th hole on a blustery late-summer Sunday afternoon, Weir raised both arms skyward. Four holes and about an hour later, he was raising those arms again, this time to hoist the Air Canada Championship trophy after his first PGA Tour win.

"So many good memories," Weir said in a recent phone conversation during which he reminisced about that magical week a decade ago on Northview's Ridge course.

One of the best of those memories was definitely that eagle two on Northview's par-4 14th. It came right after Weir had missed a three-foot par putt on the previous hole to fall into a three-way tie for the lead with Carlos Franco and Fred Funk.

His drive on No. 14 had trickled into the left rough and Weir had 159 yards to the pin. He and caddie Brennan Little quickly settled on an 8-iron and really didn't spend much time discussing the shot.

"I remember the last thing Brennan said to me was like, 'let's hole this one,' " Weir said. "It was funny because throughout that week I had probably two or three approach shots that just burned the edge. I remember on No. 3 burning the edge with about a 7-iron, the ball went right over the hole, and there were a couple of other ones. I remember the last thing Brennan said was, 'you are due for one, let's hole one here.' It was funny that it went in."

Weir suddenly had a two-shot lead and remembers battling his emotions as he realized his first PGA Tour win was now almost in his grasp. Weir had a huge and boisterous gallery of supporters following him in those final few holes. Fans were shouting his name, roaring with every shot and practically willing him to the finish line.

Weir tried his best not to think too much about the fact he was in position to get his first big win. He leaned heavily on Little, his caddy and longtime friend.

"I remember spending a lot of time talking with Brennan about other things to get my mind off trying to win for the first time," Weir said. "We talked a lot of hockey those last few holes."

He may have talked hockey, but he played great golf. Weir shot back-to-back 64s on the weekend to eventually beat Funk by two shots with an 18-under total of 266. He said it was not a coincidence that his first win came just three weeks after a final-round disappointment at the PGA Championship at Medinah near Chicago.

Weir found himself in the final group with Tiger Woods on Sunday at Medinah, but struggled to an 80. He learned some valuable lessons that helped him seal the deal at Northview.

"I remember teeing off on Sunday on that first hole in Vancouver and my ball went a foot into the rough and I ended up making a bogey," Weir said. "I didn't panic. I think my experience from a couple of weeks before, being in the final group in a major for the first time, really helped. I learned not to force things and even though I bogeyed the first hole, I remember thinking, 'let's not change the game plan, let's stick to it,' and it ended up being a 64 again. I did the things I needed to do that day to be successful."

In retrospect, Weir's win was the highlight of the seven-year run of the Greater Vancouver Open/Air Canada Championship.

"I think that's unquestionably true," said Mike Carroll, the Vancouver lawyer who served as tournament chair. "Mike's win meant so much to the tournament. To have him win for the first time at our tournament gave us a lot of impetus."

Weir has certainly had bigger wins since that victory at Northview. Just over a year later, he won a World Golf Championship event at Valderrama in Spain. A year after that, he captured the Tour Championship and, of course, in 2003 he slipped on a green jacket after winning The Masters. Other wins have followed. But Weir says his first victory 10 years ago in Surrey will always have a special place in his heart

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