Open case for playing
Weir prepares for this British major not by hitting balls on the range, but on the course
By KEN FIDLIN -- Toronto Sun
If there is a consensus among the many fans of Mike Weir as to what has been ailing his game recently, it can be summed up in three words.
"Play more golf."
This week, at least, Weir agrees. He arrived in Scotland last Wednesday and, ever since, he has been doing nothing but play the kind of golf he loves best: Creative, imaginative, ground-hugging links style, the kind of golf that the British Open demands.
"It's important to be over here and playing golf the past few days, not just on a range hitting balls," Weir said after getting his first look at Royal Troon Golf Club yesterday. "To prepare for this, it's important to be playing a lot of golf, a lot of holes and hitting these little low shots.
"At some of the other majors, you might prepare by trying to fine-tune your swing. Here, it's important to play shots, shape shots, use your creativity and imagination."
Weir and caddie Brennan Little played Turnberry three times and Royal Dornoch and Prestwick once each before yesterday's first practice round at Troon. Included in there was a 61 Weir shot the first day out at Turnberry.
"It doesn't serve much purpose to hit a lot of balls (on the practice range)," he said. "You've got to work on short game, a lot of putting, a lot of pitching, getting creative with bump and run 7-irons."
There is an expectation of wind and blustery weather later this week for the British Open, which will create the kind of conditions that make Troon a harsh test.
"This is the kind of golf I've always envisioned playing in the British Open," Weir said. "The past few years we've had such good weather that we've been able to fly the ball to the green and play almost the same style as we play in the U.S."
Troon is a traditional old course. In general, with prevailing westerly breezes off the Firth of Clyde, the front nine plays downwind and the home nine plays back into the wind, as it did yesterday. Essentially, the strategy is to make a few birdies on the front and then hang on for dear life coming home.
"The golf course is as advertised, totally," Weir said. "Straight out, and try to get a score, then coming back it's really tough -- 3-woods into the par-4s, 2-irons into a couple of par-3s. I smoked a drive on 18 and killed a 4-iron coming in. It's all you can handle."
North American golf, at least at the PGA Tour level, can assume a mind-numbing sameness. High, long shots are preferred and, when greens are soft and pliable, they take on the appearance of dartboards. By contrast, the firm seaside fairways on Scottish links courses are hard and fast and so are the greens. It is a game of feel and touch.
"This is what I like, the kind of challenge -- 3-irons from 150 yards, little punch 8-irons," Weir said. "On the 601-yard par-5 on the front, I hit 3-iron, 4-iron over the green -- 3-iron about 320 yards, then chased the 4-iron right over the green.
"(Sunday night), I took my putter out and putted one from 130 yards. Got there easy, into the wind and rolled up there about 10 feet from the stick.
"Thing is, you can do whatever you want. You have to let your mind be creative."
Ever since he started coming to the Open Championship in 1999, Weir has felt that this is a championship that suits his game. To this point, there is little tangible evidence that this is so (his best finish is a tie for 28th, last year) but it's clear that he has the kind of imaginative short game that should stand him in good stead on this turf.
"Hopefully this will be my time," he said. "I'd like to be there on Sunday and I haven't been in that position here before. You need things to go your way. My putter feels real good and that's important. You're going to need to make a lot of putts out here."
Frustrated Weir-watchers have long suspected that his frequent absences from the PGA Tour for weeks at a time have caused his game to suffer. He usually rejects that argument.
But if this steady diet of golf pays off at Troon this week, perhaps Weir will be more inclined to listen when he hears those three little words in the future.
