Weir seems destined to claim Open crown
By KEVIN HAIME, Sun Media
It may not come with a green jacket, but a win at Glen Abbey today would be a major win for both Mike Weir and Canada. Isn't it strange how some things play out so perfectly?
The country is celebrating its centennial Canadian Open this week; the last Canuck to win our national championship was Pat Fletcher, who did it as the event celebrated its golden anniversary 50 years ago; and the country's most successful player ever, Weir of Bright's Grove, is in contention for the title.
It certainly appears like all the stars have aligned for a historic golf Sunday in Canada.
But what may be the strongest sign that Weir will win today has to do with the fact that he has been in complete control on the golf course this week.
It's true that Weir has had no prior success at Glen Abbey and hasn't exactly been playing great golf heading into this year's event, but he proved with his victory at the Masters in 2003 that he can handle the pressure.
Weir has referred to the Canadian Open as his "fifth major" and today he has the support of a country behind him.
Lesson of the Week: Today, since we'll all be glued to the television watching Weir try to make history, we may as well learn from him. Weir is to be commended for his consistency and perseverance when it comes to his pre-shot routine and take-away rehearsal. Most newer players don't have any sort of pre-shot routine to help them get focused and into a rhythm and of those who do, very few actually use their pre-shot routine to rehearse an actual part of their swing motion. Weir has acknowledged that he has a weakness in his take-away that he developed as a youngster playing hockey. He tends to hood the club face as he swings away from the ball. So he and his coach Mike Wilson developed the signature pre-shot routine to help him eliminate that flaw. A lot can be learned from Weir's routine. If he needs to rehearse his take-away before every swing because of a flaw he developed 25 years ago, then all golfers would do well to ingrain better swing habits as part of their pre-shot routine. It is difficult to break a bad habit and that routine is an important element to repeating your swing under pressure. Take advantage of that time to ingrain a better swing.
PGA Tour Tidbits: It's been a very busy week in the world of golf. Here are a few highlights: Believe it or not, David Duval is back and his swing looks great. Last week he finished T13 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He's been quietly working with Hank Haney on a more neutral grip and a better club-face position. His solid showing again this week tells me he's on the right track ... Phil Mickelson has switched equipment from Titleist to Callaway at the weirdest time. Why would you change golf balls, your driver and fairway woods two weeks before the Ryder Cup? There must be more to the story than just an amicable split between Mickelson and Titleist ... Michelin, the world's top manufacturer of tires, has picked up the sponsorship for the Las Vegas PGA Tour stop ... Flags were at half-mast at Glen Abbey this past week to honour the late Moe Norman. Nice touch... Locally, congratulations go out to Graham Gunn of Carleton Golf and Yacht Club, who won the Cisco Systems Players Championship this week at Greyhawk Golf Club. Gunn shot a 5-under 67.
kevinh@kevinhaime.com
