Mike Weir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Weir CM OOnt
Weir in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Michael Richard Weir
Nickname	Weirsy
Born	(1970-05-12) May 12, 1970 (age 55) Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
Nationality	Canada
Residence	Sandy, Utah, U.S.
Spouse	Bricia Weir ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2014)​ Michelle Money ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	2
Career
College	Brigham Young University
Turned professional	1992
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)	Korn Ferry Tour
Professional wins	14
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	8
European Tour	2
Champions Tour	1
Other	5
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 2003
U.S. Open	T3: 2003
The Open Championship	T8: 2007
PGA Championship	6th: 2006
Achievements and awards
Canadian Tour Order of Merit winner	1997
Lou Marsh Trophy	2003
Lionel Conacher Award	2000, 2001, 2003
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame	2009
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame	2017

Michael Richard Weir, also known as Mike Weir, is a Canadian professional golfer. He was born on May 12, 1970. Mike plays golf left-handed. He is famous for winning the Masters Tournament in 2003. This made him the only Canadian man to ever win a major golf championship. He has spent over 110 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Mike currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions.

Mike Weir's Early Life and Golf Journey

Mike Weir grew up in Brights Grove, a town near Sarnia, Ontario. He started playing golf at Huron Oaks Golf Course. His first sport was hockey, where he shot left-handed. This led him to play golf left-handed too.

Mike was lucky because his godfather's son played left-handed. He gave Mike some spare golf clubs. Mike bought a special wedge with money he earned from caddying. When he was 12, he won a junior tournament. The prize was a full set of irons, which replaced his old clubs.

At age 11, Mike met golf legend Jack Nicklaus at his home course. This meeting was very important for Mike's future.

Choosing Golf Over Hockey

Mike stopped playing hockey when he was a teenager. He realized he wouldn't grow very tall. Golf seemed like his best sport. Some people told him he might be better if he switched to playing right-handed.

In 1984, Mike wrote to Jack Nicklaus for advice. Nicklaus quickly wrote back. He told Mike, "If you are a good player left-handed, don't change anything—especially if that feels natural to you." Mike never thought about switching again. He still keeps Nicklaus's letter, framed, in his home.

Mike Weir's Amateur Golf Career

Mike went to St. Michael Elementary School and St. Clair Secondary School in Sarnia. He won the Ontario Junior Championship in 1988. He later studied Recreation Management at Brigham Young University.

While in college, he won the Ontario Amateur Championship twice, in 1990 and 1992. He also did very well in the Canadian Amateur Championship. In 1992, he was chosen as an All-American for his great college golf skills.

Mike Weir's Professional Golf Career

Mike Weir at the 2009 Telus World Skins Game, Lévis, Canada

Mike Weir became a professional golfer in 1992. He started on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, winning three events. He also played in some tournaments on the Asian PGA Tour.

He first joined the PGA Tour in 1998. However, he didn't play well enough to keep his spot. He had to re-qualify, which he did by being the top player at the final Qualifying School tournament.

First PGA Tour Wins

Mike's first PGA Tour win was at the 1999 Air Canada Championship in British Columbia. He was the first Canadian to win a PGA Tour event in Canada in 45 years. He also won The Tour Championship in 2001 after a playoff.

The 2003 season started very well for Mike. He won two tournaments on the West Coast Swing. First, he won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in California. Then, he won the Nissan Open near Los Angeles.

Winning the Masters Tournament

In April 2003, Mike Weir won the 2003 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. This is one of the four biggest golf tournaments, called major championships. He is the only Canadian man to ever win a professional major championship.

When he won the Masters, Mike was only the second left-handed golfer to win a major. The first was Bob Charles in 1963. Other left-handed golfers like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have won majors since then. Mike is right-handed in everyday life but plays golf left-handed, just like Phil Mickelson.

Top Rankings and Awards

In June 2003, Mike tied for third place at the U.S. Open. This moved him to third in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest ever. For his amazing year in 2003, Mike won the Lou Marsh Trophy. This award is for Canada's best athlete of the year. He stayed in the world's top ten rankings into 2004.

In February 2004, Mike won the Nissan Open again. This made him one of the few players to win this championship two times in a row.

Later Career and Presidents Cup

Mike didn't win another PGA Tour event for over three years after his second Nissan Open win. He worked on changing his golf swing. Even though his world ranking dropped, he was chosen for the 2007 Presidents Cup team. This tournament was held in Canada, and Mike helped bring it there.

In a memorable match, Mike beat the world's number one player, Tiger Woods. Even though his team lost the Cup, Mike said, "When I look back on my career, this may be even more special than winning the Masters."

His improved swing and the energy from the Presidents Cup led to his next win. In October 2007, he won the Fry's Electronics Open. This was his first win in over three years. This victory tied him with George Knudson for the most PGA Tour wins by a Canadian, with eight.

Injuries and Return to Golf

Mike's 2010 season ended early because of an elbow injury. He had surgery and took time off. He tried to return in 2011 and 2012 but struggled with injuries.

In 2014, Mike almost won the Byron Nelson Championship. He finished second, which was his best result since 2007. This helped his world ranking a lot. He also earned enough money to keep his PGA Tour spot for the next season.

In 2015, Mike took a break from golf competitions. He later joined the TNT broadcast team as a reporter for the 2016 PGA Championship. He also served as a captain's assistant for the Presidents Cup in 2017 and 2019.

In 2019, Mike played on the Web.com Tour to prepare for the PGA Tour Champions. He turned 50 in May 2020 and officially joined the PGA Tour Champions.

In May 2021, Mike won his first tournament on the PGA Tour Champions. It was the Insperity Invitational in Texas. This was his first big win anywhere in the world since 2007.

Mike Weir's Personal Life

Mike Weir lives in Sandy, Utah, with his two daughters.

He also has a connection to the wine business. Creekside Estate Winery started making wine for Mike in 2005. His Icewine Vidal was even named one of the top golf-related wines by a magazine. Mike planned to open his own winery in 2008.

In 2008, Thomson Reuters became Mike's main corporate sponsor for five years.

Awards and Honours for Mike Weir

Mike Weir has received many awards and honours:

• In 2003, he was given the Order of Ontario.
• In 2007, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
• In 2009, Mike was added to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
• In 2010, he was ranked #12 on a list of Canada's 100 Greatest Athletes of All Time.
• In 2017, he received the Order of Sport. This marked his entry into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
• There is a street named after him in Draper, Utah.

Mike Weir's Professional Wins

PGA Tour Wins (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Sep 5, 1999	Air Canada Championship	−18 (68-70-64-64=266)	2 strokes	Fred Funk
2	Nov 12, 2000	WGC-American Express Championship	−11 (68-75-65-69=277)	2 strokes	Lee Westwood
3	Nov 4, 2001	The Tour Championship	−14 (68-66-68-68=270)	Playoff	Ernie Els, Sergio García, David Toms
4	Feb 2, 2003	Bob Hope Chrysler Classic	−30 (67-64-65-67-67=330)	2 strokes	Jay Haas
5	Feb 23, 2003	Nissan Open	−9 (72-68-69-66=275)	Playoff	Charles Howell III
6	Apr 13, 2003	Masters Tournament	−7 (70-68-75-68=281)	Playoff	Len Mattiace
7	Feb 22, 2004	Nissan Open (2)	−17 (66-64-66-71=267)	1 stroke	Shigeki Maruyama
8	Oct 21, 2007	Fry's Electronics Open	−14 (69-64-65-68=266)	1 stroke	Mark Hensby

PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2000	Michelob Championship at Kingsmill	David Toms	Lost to par on first extra hole
2	2001	The Tour Championship	Ernie Els, Sergio García, David Toms	Won with birdie on first extra hole
3	2003	Nissan Open	Charles Howell III	Won with birdie on second extra hole
4	2003	Masters Tournament	Len Mattiace	Won with bogey on first extra hole
5	2004	Bell Canadian Open	Vijay Singh	Lost to par on third extra hole

Canadian Tour Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	Jul 25, 1993	Infiniti Tournament Players Championship	−4 (70-73-72-69=284)	1 stroke	Rémi Bouchard, Steve Stricker, Richard Zokol
2	Jun 8, 1997	BC TEL Pacific Open	−13 (65-69-68-69=271)	1 stroke	Kenny Druce, Ken Duke
3	Jul 27, 1997	Canadian Masters	−18 (64-67-66-69=266)	8 strokes	Steven Alker, Ken Duke, Carlos Espinosa, Kari Kekki

Other Wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Jun 29, 1999	Telus Skins Game	$210,000	$115,000	David Duval
2	Jun 24, 2010	Telus World Skins Game (2)	$270,000	$195,000	Retief Goosen

Other playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	2006	CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic (with Brad Faxon)	Tim Clark and Nick Price	Lost to birdie on second extra hole

PGA Tour Champions Wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	May 2, 2021	Insperity Invitational	−10 (66-68=134)*	2 strokes	John Daly, Tim Petrovic, David Toms

*Note: The 2021 Insperity Invitational was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.

Major Championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2003	Masters Tournament	2 shot deficit	−7 (70-68-75-68=281)	Playoff1	Len Mattiace

¹Defeated Len Mattiace in a sudden-death playoff: Weir (5), Mattiace (6).

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Championships

• Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

World Golf Championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2000	WGC-American Express Championship	1 shot deficit	−11 (68-75-65-69=277)	2 strokes	Lee Westwood

Results Timeline

¹Cancelled due to 9/11
     Win      Top 10      Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Results in Senior Major Championships

Results not in chronological order

     Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Team Appearances

Professional

• World Cup (representing Canada): 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007
• Presidents Cup (International Team): 2000, 2003 (tie), 2005, 2007, 2009

See Also

• List of Canadian sports personalities