Weir makes strong case
By ROB LONGLEY -- Toronto Sun
HOUSTON -- Out of respect for the competition, Mike Weir left the answer hanging tantalizingly on the lip.
It is clear, however, that the lefty from Bright's Grove believes a year in which he has made golf history in Canada deserves some big play in the U.S., too.
The buzz on the eve of the Tour Championship at the lengthy and leafy Champions Golf Club, is that the player of the year race is between Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.
Woods and Singh may be deserving front-runners, but Weir wants to make sure it is not just a two-horse photo.
"I can tell by the way it's going, it's leaning toward Vijay or Tiger right now," a relaxed Weir said yesterday, leaning against the Champions pro shop after an afternoon spent working on his short game.
"I pretty much feel that if I could win this week then it shouldn't be a question."
Weir's campaign motto for the season-ending vote by his peers is his performance in the majors, a crucial category where he has outshone his rivals.
"I go by the way I voted the last few years, I've always gone with the guy who has done the best in the majors," Weir said. "That doesn't mean everybody else is doing that. Some guys put money, some guys put number of wins and all those things together. But I've always looked at the majors."
By the Weir criteria -- and he can count others, including one Eldrick Woods as fellow believers -- his season stands out.
His magical Masters win in April was complemented by a tie for third in the U.S. Open and tie for seventh in the PGA. Throw in wins at the Bob Hope Classic and Nissan Open and Weir has ample backup material.
Singh had a second in the British Open and a sixth at the Masters for two top 10s in majors. He has been on a tear this fall and holding the upper hand in the money race is his ace.
Woods has five wins but a rare season in which he wasn't merely blanked in the majors but had just one top 10, a fourth at the British Open.
The consensus seems to be that if either Woods (how do you vote against six wins) or Singh (five victories and the money title) wins this week the award is sealed.
Weir believes he merits similar consideration and has every intention of earning it. He won this event when it was held here in 2001, a breakthrough that was considered his most impressive showing until his brilliant run this spring.
And there appears to be a groundswell of support in his corner. The players -- anyone who has played in 15 PGA Tour events gets a vote -- take the ballot seriously and objectively.
"I would have to think that if Mike wins this week, he'd be the choice," Canadian Open champion Bob Tway said. "You have to put more emphasis on wins in majors and performance in majors. Based on that, he would deserve it."
Even Davis Love, who along with Jim Furyk is considered an outsider for POY, says Weir is getting undersold in the considerable buildup to this Tour Championship.
"I still hear a lot of talk about Mike Weir around the locker room and not as much out in the public," Love said.
That perception doesn't sit well with Weir, who hinted at the possibility that it might be a Canada-U.S. thing.
"For whatever reason, they don't want to build me up like that," Weir said. "Possibly if the shoe was on the other foot and I was leading in money without a major ... who knows what would be said?
"Tiger and Vijay have played a lot better in recent months so they have momentum on their side."
Weir is wise enough to know a hot putter, not hot words, would best stem that momentum. But you get the feeling he's ready for a big week.
He shook the rust off with a final-round 67 last week in Tampa and traditionally plays well late in the year.
He also has a point to prove and in a tournament that has its most interest in the Tiger era, the forum to prove it.
"I think I feel more motivated to say 'hey, wait a minute here. If I do good things here this week, I'm just as much in the thick of the race as anybody else is.' "
