'The game has given me so much'

'The game has given me so much'

By RANDY PHILLIPS www.montrealgazette.com

Mike Weir is at Augusta National this week for The Masters, where he will try to add a second green jacket to an impressive list of accomplishments as Canada's most celebrated professional golfer.

Weir won the only major championship of his career at the 2003 Masters, becoming the first Canadian to win one of the game's most coveted titles.

The native of Bright's Grove, Ont., who turns 40 on May 12, has been on the PGA Tour full-time since 1998. His eight tour victories put him in a tie with the late George Knudson for most wins by a Canadian.

Weir became the first Canadian in 45 years to win a PGA Tour event in Canada at the 1999 Air Canada Championship in Surrey, B.C.

He sits 46th in the Official World Golf Ranking and ranks 11th on the PGA Tour's all-time money list at $26,666,508 U.S.

He's a three-time recipient of the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada's male athlete of the year, and last year was named to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and appointed to the Order of Canada.

Weir lives in Sandy, Utah, with his wife, Bricia, and daughters Elle Marisa, 12, and Lili, 10. The Gazette hooked up with him by telephone last week a few days before he left for Augusta, Ga.

Gazette: What are your thoughts on turning 40?

Weir: "It's a big number. I don't see myself physically getting any different as in gaining weight or anything. I look at it as just a number and being pretty cool. I'm very comfortable turning 40."

What do you like to do away from the golf course?

"At this time of the year we're just kinda winding down the ski season. I ski quite a bit, and being a big fitness buff, I work out quite hard, every day. There's activities with my kids, too. Going to soccer. Taking Lili to dance class. I'm very active with that when I'm home. We do a lot of things in the summertime. We hike a lot as a family, camp. Family trips with everyone. We have a couple of dogs, too. One is a German Shepherd, a canine I do training with, working on protection. I get a kick out of watching the dog work."

Do the girls or Bricia play golf?

"The girls play a little, but they're not diehards. When I go to hit balls after dinner sometimes they'll come to the range with me. They're good for about 15 minutes before they're bored and are off. I'm just going to let them take it at their pace and if they want to take it up I'll be glad to help them, but right now they're not showing a big interest. Bricia's kinda the same. We might go out and play a couple of holes after dinner, but she doesn't play too much. She loves her horses."

Do your daughters know or reflect on your accomplishments on the golf course?

"I don't think so. For sure they know what Dad does and they know it's hard. They know when I've played well and when I haven't played well. That I'm not as cheerful and happy after a bad round. They're starting to understand the game and know sometimes it doesn't go your way. I think they really remember the Masters."

Do you take a bad round or tournament home?

"I try not to. Some days I do it better than other days. Sometimes some rounds sting more than others, but I definitely try to leave it behind. Do some activity with the family to get my mind off it."

Do you bounce thoughts about your game off Bricia?

"We definitely talk. She caddied for me for a number of years. She has a pretty good insight toward the game. I wouldn't to say it's a pep talk when we talk, but she has more of a psychology background, so we'll talk more of those kinds of things than whether my head is moving (over a shot)."

What's the worst thing you did as a kid and what might surprise people to find out?

"When I was in high school, about 15 or 16, my brother and my mom worked at the same place and car-pooled together. My brother had a very nice old 1972 Chevy Chevelle and he'd leave it in the garage to go with Mom. I'd wait at the bus stop until they drove by and then run back to the house, steal my brother's car and go off to school with my buddies. I'd be back home before they were home from work. I think my brother knew, but he let me get away with it."

What is it like living with three women in the house?

"That's why I have a couple of dogs. I'm definitely outnumbered, but it's great. I'm glad my girls are into sports. They like to do the things Bricia and I like to do."

What's your favourite food?

"That's tough because I love food. With my mother's heritage, I love Italian food, but having a Latino wife, I love Mexican food. It's probably taken over from Italian."

Are you good in the kitchen - what are good at making?

"Decent in the kitchen. Good on the barbeque. Actually made chicken Marsala the other night and it turned out pretty good."

What's been your most embarrassing moment on the golf course?

"At the Players Championship, six years ago I think, I cold-topped a 3-wood right into the water about 10 yards in front of me."

Best practical joke a fellow golfer pulled on you?

"Dean Wilson hid my clubs once almost for a whole day. It was in Washington, D.C., and I wanted to practise, but my clubs were gone. He hid them in the ladies locker room."

What does being regarded as one of Canada's best golfers, if not the best, mean to you?

"Definitely a lot. I've worked hard for it. Golf is a passion I love, but as golfers we can become obsessive. You have to sacrifice a lot and you miss out a lot of things, lots of family things that I hold dear. That's the tough part. At the same time the game has given me so much. But being recognized for (what I've done) is great and being at the (Canadian Golf Hall of Fame) ceremony in Sarnia last fall, I was able to share that with a lot of people who made it possible. A lot of people helped me get where I'm at today and in that regard, being known as one of the best players, I feel everybody that's been involved shares in that."

What one thing do you remember from winning The Masters and defeating Tiger Woods in a singles match in the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal in 2007?

"At The Masters it was the putt I made on 18 to get into the playoff, but what stands out was that solitary moment right after I tapped in to win it. Just being in the spot on the 10th hole by myself and the sense of accomplishment that came over me for a few seconds. It had been a week that seemed would never end, and to put in that much mental energy and not lose my focus on one shot, it was a great sense of accomplishment.

At the Presidents Cup, it was the crowd support. The guys in the caddie jumpsuits and the guys in the orange tuxedos and top hats. It was incredible atmosphere and to do that in front of your home fans, to beat maybe the greatest player of all time, was a thrill. I was glad to be able to do that for Canadian fans because they've been great to me.