Aching Weir welcomes break

Mike Weir is enjoying two weeks off. With the PGA Tour season on hold, he will sit back and, like most of the golfing world, tune his television set to next week's Ryder Cup.
"Everyone is sort of giving this thing to the European team," Weir said from his home in Utah this week. "But I'm putting myself out there and saying I think the U. S. is poised for an upset. Look at a young guy like Anthony Kim or J. B. Holmes. I think they'll make a difference. I think the U. S. is hungry."
Weir is looking forward to the PGA Tour's break -- there is no tournament this week and the FedEx Cup playoffs do not resume until Sept. 25 -- since it will give him some time to reflect on a successful season and help him nurse a series of injuries. A disc problem in his neck has resulted in soreness in his right shoulder and elbow. The injuries became a concern at the BMW Championship on Sunday in St. Louis, when Weir could barely hold a club in his right hand while warming up. Only a quick session with the trainer from the St. Louis Blues allowed him to finish the tournament.

"Now that I'm pushing 40, these things seem to be cropping up more often," Weir said, noting doctors have told him the injuries should disappear if he takes time off. "When I was 28 -- not 38 -- I could push through it. But playing 36 holes on Saturday was too much."
The physical problems and Vijay Singh's practically insurmountable playoff lead have Weir feeling ambivalent about the conclusion of the tour schedule. He's playing some of his best golf since his standout year of 2003, when he won three times, including The Masters. Though he doesn't have a win this year, he still has US$2.4-million in earnings -- his most since 2004 -- and he'll play three more tournaments this year, including defending his win at the Fry's Electronics Open. Then he'll take two months off -- likely without practising at all in order to recover from his injuries -- before starting again in January.
His objective for his final three tournament is to channel his recent play -- which includes four top-10 finishes in his last nine events -- into another win. But just because he can't win the FedEx Cup's US$10-million top prize doesn't mean the Tour Championship, from Sept. 25-28 in Atlanta, can't be meaningful for Weir.
"I'm not thinking about the FedEx Cup now," he said. "I've got to put it out of my mind and try to win the remaining three events I'm playing."
Weir won't blame his recent injuries for his inability to win. Weir had a chance to win the second FedEx tournament, the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston over the Labour Day weekend, but his third-round lead fell victim to Singh's superlative final-round 63. Weir, who bolted to the first-round lead with a 61, did not lose the tournament. Singh won it with some lengthy putts and even longer drives on Monday that overwhelmed the TPC at Boston course. It's a version of the game Weir can't rival. Coming up 18 in the final round with Singh's win assured, Weir played to his strengths, laying up on the par-five. His wedge shot to the green spun to a rest immediately beside the final hole. The precision led NBC commentator Johnny Miller to proclaim Weir as perhaps the best wedge player in the world.
Hearing the remark clearly pleases Weir. "I'd like to be known as the best wedge player because I'll never be known as [the longest driver]," Weir said. "Or maybe the most competitive player or the most focused -- that would be great."
How about top Canadian? With his second-place finish in Boston, Weir vaulted ahead of Calgary's Stephen Ames in the world ranking to No. 25, two spots ahead of Ames. Weir says he doesn't pay much attention to such statistics, perhaps only glancing at them when it is a Presidents Cup year.
"My goal is just to get as far up the list as I can -- maybe back to where I was in 2003" when he peaked at No. 3 in the world.

Even without a win this year, it is hard to look at Weir's year as anything but a success.