No doubt, Weir Skins Game favourite

By Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist

Any doubts Mike Weir will be the sentimental favourite of the gallery during the Telus World Skins Game June 21-22 at Bear Mountain Golf Resort were dispelled by the results of the online auction for caddie positions.

Weir, the Canadian who won the 2003 Masters, topped the bidding at $10,100. The next highest was American veteran Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, whose caddie spot went for $4,200.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa commanded $3,551, popular young PGA player Camilo Villegas of Colombia $2,808 and the often loudly-attired Englishman Ian Poulter fetched $2,725.12.

The online auction ran for 10 days.

The total of $23,384.12 raised through the caddie auction will go to the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children, the charity of choice for the 2010 Telus World Skins Game. The Foundation is directing proceeds to its Jeneece Place project, which will provide a place to stay and support near Victoria General Hospital for up-Island families of sick children. More than $720,000 has been raised so far, with the site for Jeneece Place to be announced soon.

"I think it's a really fantastic idea to auction off the the caddie positions," said Goosen.

"It will be a great experience for the bid winners to be on the bag for golfers of this calibre and the money will greatly benefit the charity." Meanwhile, Skins Game officials say they expect to announce a sell-out for the event later this week. A gallery of close to 5,000 is expected both days on Bear Mountain for the TSN-televised $360,000 event in which each hole is worth a certain amount of money. The remaining tickets are available at www.telusskinsgame.com or by phone at: 1-866-607-5461.

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