With the PGA Tour Champions making a stop north of the border this week for the Rogers Charity Classic, Mike Weir admits he’d love to follow in the footsteps of Nick Taylor, who broke a 69-year drought for Canadians by capturing the 2023 RBC Canadian Open with a putt for the ages.
But while Weir will be fighting a strong field at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary this week — and hoping to become the first Canadian to ever win the event in its 11-year history — he readily admits he’s constantly plotting and planning for his role as captain of the International team in the upcoming Presidents Cup.
Weir, the first Canadian to win a men’s major when he captured the Masters in 2003, has served as captain’s assistant in three consecutive playings, most recently under the leadership of Trevor Immelman at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in September.
“It’s difficult. I was talking to Darren Clarke. He was like, hey, the Presidents Cup, you kind of get your life back after it’s done. You can focus on your own game,” Weir noted. “So, yeah, I mean, I played a few less tournaments this year and just your headspace is constantly thinking — for me, it’s on the top of mind, Presidents Cup; my game is secondary. Even though I’m working on my game and playing, my mind is constantly thinking about it. Calls before rounds, calls after rounds, texting with guys, our analytics guys.
“I’m trying to get all the information I can in regards to the players so I can make the best decision upcoming in the next couple weeks. I don’t want to make a decision on a whim. I want to have all the information and stats on the players so I can make an informed decision.”
It’s almost time 🏆
Captain Weir and Ernie Els hosted the @PresidentsCup trophy in Calgary @RogersClassic. pic.twitter.com/omSN95GlwP
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 14, 2024
An assistant for Ernie Els in 2019, Weir saw the International Team build its biggest lead in Presidents Cup history before falling to a Tiger Woods-led U.S. Team, 16-14, at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia. His first appearance dates to 2017, serving for Nick Price at Liberty National Golf Club. The first Canadian to ever compete in the Presidents Cup, Weir has also made five Cup appearances as a player (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009).
This week’s field in Calgary, which includes all of the top 5 and seven of the top 10 in the current Charles Schwab Cup race standings, should offer plenty to keep Weir’s focus.
But as much as he talked about tweaking his own game, Weir went into plenty of detail about the upcoming event, which will be held in September at Royal Montreal Golf Club, a course that also held the RBC Canadian Open on 10 occasions, most recently in 2014.
“A lot of the behind-the-scenes things are done. It’s really focused on the players now. There are two weeks left of the qualification process,” Weir said. “You know, this is crunch time for a lot of players. We have six automatic spots off the world rankings and then six picks with a lot of Canadians in the mix, so hoping they’re going to really play well the next couple weeks and that I can pick them for the team.
“As I’ve said all along, it’s an international team. It’s not Team Canada, so you have to be fair to everybody. A lot of guys are playing well. I really like our team the way it’s shaping up.”