Michael Griffiths
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Finally a Canadian wins the Masters!! And the first left handed player, too, I believe.
http://tsn.ca/golf/news_story.asp?id=37616
Weir wins The Masters in playoff
TSN.ca Staff
4/13/2003
AUGUSTA, Ga. (CP) - Mike Weir beat Len Mattiace on the first playoff hole of the Masters on Sunday, becoming the first Canadian to win a major on the PGA Tour.
The native of Bright's Grove, Ont., calmly sank a six-foot par putt on the 18th green to force the playoff and then watched as Mattiace self-destructed in sudden death.
``It's an unbelievable feeling, something I've dreamt about for a very long time, I've worked very hard for it,'' Weir told CBS. ``It's a thrill. I have a tough time putting it into words, because I probably won't do it justice.
``Once I sit back and reflect I'll know how special it was.''
Weir, recording by far the biggest of his six career PGA Tour victories and third already this season, was rock solid throughout the day and didn't record a single bogey during his final-round 4-under 68.
After both players drove solidly to start the playoff on the par-4, 495-yard 10th hole, Mattiace's second shot was way left of the green, landing in the rough behind a tree.
Weir was next and his six-iron shot landed on the front half of the green, a good 45 feet away from the pin. But he was on the green, while Mattiace went looking at his options.
Mattiace sent a hard punch shot flying across the green, leaving him at least 25 feet away from par. Weir rolled his birdie effort eight feet past, prolonging the tension.
But once Mattiace took two more putts and missed, all Weir needed was a two-putt from eight feet to win a green jacket. His par putt barely missed.
He tapped in for a bogey-five, and raised his arms in glory as the gallery cheered. His wife Bricia came onto the green to hug him.
Weir, less than eight years removed from struggling on the Canadian and Australian Tours, was a Masters champion.
``It was definitely nerve-wracking out there,'' said Weir. ``I just tried to gather myself on each of those putts I had.
``You just can't give one away.''
Minutes later, he was in the clubhouse with Tiger Woods, who put the green jacket reserved for Masters champions on his slight Canadian counterpart.
``All right, Weirsy,'' said Woods.
``Thanks Tiger,'' Weir answered, adding, ``Oh, that feels good.''
Weir was also the first left-hander to win a major since Bob Charles, who won the British Open in 1963.
The previous best Canadian finish at the Masters was George Knudson in 1969, who tied for second.
Mattiace began the day tied for eighth and five back of third-round leader Jeff Maggert, while Weir was two shots off the pace. Mattiace made his way up the leaderboard with a sizzling final round of 7-under 65.
``I was in one of those zones, I was in a very good place,'' said Mattiace. ``I was hitting the shots just the way I was seeing it, and that's all you want to do.
``It was a great feeling doing it.''
On a day when Augusta National glistened under the hot sun and blue sky in 26 C temperature, the expected charge from the likes of Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh never materialized.
Instead, it was an unexpected run for 35-year-old veteran Mattiace, who has two PGA Tour wins to his credit but whose previous best finish in a major was 24th.
Mattiace, playing four groups ahead, waited anxiously as Weir played out his final three holes.
Knowing full well he was in a tie for first at 7-under, Weir didn't show any nerves. He hit a solid shot into the par-3, 170-yard 16th hole, but missed the 10-foot birdie putt to remain in a tie.
His approach shot at the par-4, 425-yard No. 17 hole was right in the middle of the green, Weir not wanting to try the risky pin on the right-hand side in front of the bunker. His long putt burned the edge of the hole to the right and then rolled four feet past, leaving him a testy par effort. But just as he as done all week, he saved par yet again.
Weir headed to the difficult par-4, 465-yard 18th hole needing a birdie, something only two players in the field were able to do Sunday.
After another solid drive down the middle of the fairway, Weir's approach from 199 yards landed on the upper ridge of the difficult 18th green but couldn't stick, rolling back down and leaving him a tough 25-foot putt going uphill. Weir left his putt a good six feet below the hole, and a murmur could be heard in the crowd.
Weir needed to sink a six-footer to force a playoff, and he did, pumping his left fist as the gallery hollered in appreciation of the pressure putt.
It was on to a playoff at the par-4, 495-yard 10th hole.
Weir, meanwhile, wasn't the only lefty on the board Sunday. American star Phil Mickelson, considered the best player never to win a major, finished third with a 5-under 283. Jim Furyk was fourth at 4-under 284.
Woods, meanwhile, never challenged as expected. He shot a 3-over 75 which left him at 2-over 290, his quest for a three-peat at the Masters going down the drain.
``I've played a little better,'' Woods joked afterwards.
Weir's name has been on the leaderboard from the get-go this week. A first-round 2-under 70 was followed by a 4-under 68 in a second round that started Friday and ended Saturday morning. It was Weir's best career round at Augusta National in his fourth Masters.
Weir was the first Canadian to lead after a completed round at the Masters since Vancouver's Stan Leonard led following the first round in 1959 and shared the third-round lead with Arnold Palmer before finishing tied for fourth.
Weir made the turn with a one-shot lead.
His second shot from 199 yards out at the par-4, 495-yard No. 10 hole was short, landing 45 feet short of the pin. A solid birdie effort left him a tap-in par, but Mattiace holed his birdie putt from 20 feet to go 4-under, one behind Weir.
As Weir walked to the tee at the par-4, 490-yard No. 11 hole, a gigantic cheer could be heard from the 13th green. Mattiace had just taken the outright lead at 6-under after an eight-foot eagle putt.
Weir was on the chase again. He stepped and delivered a perfect drive right down the middle of the fairway. A solid approach shot from 128 yards left Weir a 20-footer for birdie. He read the right-to-left effort correctly but burned the left edge of the cup. Another par.
Singh, the 2000 Masters champion, dropped back to 3-under at this point after missing a short part putt at No. 12. He showed his frustration by throwing the ball in the water.
Not the best of shots off the tee at the par-3, 155-yard No. 12 hole left Weir to the far left of the green with the pin on the other side. A 60-foot birdie effort missed right and rolled past five feet. But before Weir could try his par putt, his playing partner met disaster.
Maggert's Masters hopes disappeared after putting back-to-back shots in the creek as Weir watched and scoring a 5-over eight on the par-3 hole.
Once Maggert's horror show was finally done Weir once again saved par, showing tremendous confidence in draining the five-footer.
Then came the par-5, 510-yard No. 13, the hole Weir bogeyed in the third round after hitting the creek on his second shot. Just as Weir walked down the fairway the leaderboard changed on him, Mattiace going to 7-under after a birdie on No. 15.
Weir had 193 yards to the green for his second shot, but he drove his ball to the left side of the fairway. He carried the creek easily but rolled off the left-side of the green. The pin was on the right side, leaving Weir a difficult up and down.
Before Weir attempted long putt off the low fringe, Mattiace increased his lead to three strokes with yet another birdie, this one at No. 16.
Weir's long putt had too much on it, and nearly rolled off the green on the other side where the creek was awaiting. But his ball held on just before the fringe and Weir had an 10-footer going uphill for birdie. Weir answered the bell, making the birdie putt and pumping his fist while going to 6-under, two strokes back of Mattiace.
Just as Mattiace tapped in for par at No. 17 to remain 8-under, Weir's second shot at the par-4, 440-yard No. 14 hole landed in the middle of the green before catching the slope and rolling away from the pin. His long birdie try was short and left him six feet for par. And yet again, the Canadian star dropped it in to stay at 6-under.
Mattiace found trouble at No. 18, missing the fairway on his drive and landing in the pine needles under the trees. He punched out back into the fairway on his second shot. His approach was at the back of the green and he wrapped up his brilliant round with a bogey-five.
Weir, meanwhile, missed the fairway to the left at the par-5, 500-yard No. 15 hole, leaving his ball deep in the high grass which hadn't been cut since Monday. He layed up with a short iron and put the ball in front of the water, leaving him about 85 yards to the hole for his third shot. And what a third shot, one that may be replayed for years to come. His ball planted the green two feet from the pin as the gallery erupted. The cheered even louder when he dropped the birdie putt to tie for the lead at 7-under.
Weir and Maggert arrived at the first-hole green to find a gallery half the size of the one that squeezed around there two groups earlier. But once Tiger was gone to the No. 2 hole, his army followed him.
It was important for Weir to start strong after his back-breaking back nine of the third round, when he blew a six-shot lead with a 3-over 39.
Weir's approach at the par-4, 435-yard No. 1 hole was too heavy, finding the fringe at the back of the green with the pin some 50 feet away at the left front. But Weir recovered with a solid downhill putt that rolled past three feet, which he made for par.
While Weir was looking on, Maggert's Masters took a major downturn on the par-4, 350-yard No. 3 hole when his second shot from the fairway bunker hit the lip and bounced back to hit him. That's a two-stroke penalty. So while Weir rolled in another par to stay at 4-under, Maggert took a triple-bogey seven. Weir was back in the lead at the Masters at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Weir had the galleries cheering again at the par-3, 180-yard No. 6 hole with a brilliant six-iron that landed two feet from the pin. As he walked down to the green and acknowledged the fervent cheers of the crowd, he coolly stepped up and drained the birdie to go five-under par, giving himself a two-stroke lead at that point over Maggert and Mattiace.
Weir's second shot at the par-5, 570-yard No. 8 hole went to the front-left behind the mounds, not a good place to be. His chip on the following shot barely made it to the front of the green. But a beautiful loft shot left him five feet for par, which he sank in yet another save.
Woods, at this time, was making the turn at 2-over, not what he had in mind.
Weir's approach shot at the par-4, 460-yard No. 9 hole was right in the middle of the green, leaving him about 20 feet for birdie. He settled for a par after missing the hole to the right, making the turn with a 2-under 34 and a one-shot lead on Mattiace and two ahead of Maggert and Singh.
http://tsn.ca/golf/news_story.asp?id=37616
Weir wins The Masters in playoff
TSN.ca Staff
4/13/2003
AUGUSTA, Ga. (CP) - Mike Weir beat Len Mattiace on the first playoff hole of the Masters on Sunday, becoming the first Canadian to win a major on the PGA Tour.
The native of Bright's Grove, Ont., calmly sank a six-foot par putt on the 18th green to force the playoff and then watched as Mattiace self-destructed in sudden death.
``It's an unbelievable feeling, something I've dreamt about for a very long time, I've worked very hard for it,'' Weir told CBS. ``It's a thrill. I have a tough time putting it into words, because I probably won't do it justice.
``Once I sit back and reflect I'll know how special it was.''
Weir, recording by far the biggest of his six career PGA Tour victories and third already this season, was rock solid throughout the day and didn't record a single bogey during his final-round 4-under 68.
After both players drove solidly to start the playoff on the par-4, 495-yard 10th hole, Mattiace's second shot was way left of the green, landing in the rough behind a tree.
Weir was next and his six-iron shot landed on the front half of the green, a good 45 feet away from the pin. But he was on the green, while Mattiace went looking at his options.
Mattiace sent a hard punch shot flying across the green, leaving him at least 25 feet away from par. Weir rolled his birdie effort eight feet past, prolonging the tension.
But once Mattiace took two more putts and missed, all Weir needed was a two-putt from eight feet to win a green jacket. His par putt barely missed.
He tapped in for a bogey-five, and raised his arms in glory as the gallery cheered. His wife Bricia came onto the green to hug him.
Weir, less than eight years removed from struggling on the Canadian and Australian Tours, was a Masters champion.
``It was definitely nerve-wracking out there,'' said Weir. ``I just tried to gather myself on each of those putts I had.
``You just can't give one away.''
Minutes later, he was in the clubhouse with Tiger Woods, who put the green jacket reserved for Masters champions on his slight Canadian counterpart.
``All right, Weirsy,'' said Woods.
``Thanks Tiger,'' Weir answered, adding, ``Oh, that feels good.''
Weir was also the first left-hander to win a major since Bob Charles, who won the British Open in 1963.
The previous best Canadian finish at the Masters was George Knudson in 1969, who tied for second.
Mattiace began the day tied for eighth and five back of third-round leader Jeff Maggert, while Weir was two shots off the pace. Mattiace made his way up the leaderboard with a sizzling final round of 7-under 65.
``I was in one of those zones, I was in a very good place,'' said Mattiace. ``I was hitting the shots just the way I was seeing it, and that's all you want to do.
``It was a great feeling doing it.''
On a day when Augusta National glistened under the hot sun and blue sky in 26 C temperature, the expected charge from the likes of Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh never materialized.
Instead, it was an unexpected run for 35-year-old veteran Mattiace, who has two PGA Tour wins to his credit but whose previous best finish in a major was 24th.
Mattiace, playing four groups ahead, waited anxiously as Weir played out his final three holes.
Knowing full well he was in a tie for first at 7-under, Weir didn't show any nerves. He hit a solid shot into the par-3, 170-yard 16th hole, but missed the 10-foot birdie putt to remain in a tie.
His approach shot at the par-4, 425-yard No. 17 hole was right in the middle of the green, Weir not wanting to try the risky pin on the right-hand side in front of the bunker. His long putt burned the edge of the hole to the right and then rolled four feet past, leaving him a testy par effort. But just as he as done all week, he saved par yet again.
Weir headed to the difficult par-4, 465-yard 18th hole needing a birdie, something only two players in the field were able to do Sunday.
After another solid drive down the middle of the fairway, Weir's approach from 199 yards landed on the upper ridge of the difficult 18th green but couldn't stick, rolling back down and leaving him a tough 25-foot putt going uphill. Weir left his putt a good six feet below the hole, and a murmur could be heard in the crowd.
Weir needed to sink a six-footer to force a playoff, and he did, pumping his left fist as the gallery hollered in appreciation of the pressure putt.
It was on to a playoff at the par-4, 495-yard 10th hole.
Weir, meanwhile, wasn't the only lefty on the board Sunday. American star Phil Mickelson, considered the best player never to win a major, finished third with a 5-under 283. Jim Furyk was fourth at 4-under 284.
Woods, meanwhile, never challenged as expected. He shot a 3-over 75 which left him at 2-over 290, his quest for a three-peat at the Masters going down the drain.
``I've played a little better,'' Woods joked afterwards.
Weir's name has been on the leaderboard from the get-go this week. A first-round 2-under 70 was followed by a 4-under 68 in a second round that started Friday and ended Saturday morning. It was Weir's best career round at Augusta National in his fourth Masters.
Weir was the first Canadian to lead after a completed round at the Masters since Vancouver's Stan Leonard led following the first round in 1959 and shared the third-round lead with Arnold Palmer before finishing tied for fourth.
Weir made the turn with a one-shot lead.
His second shot from 199 yards out at the par-4, 495-yard No. 10 hole was short, landing 45 feet short of the pin. A solid birdie effort left him a tap-in par, but Mattiace holed his birdie putt from 20 feet to go 4-under, one behind Weir.
As Weir walked to the tee at the par-4, 490-yard No. 11 hole, a gigantic cheer could be heard from the 13th green. Mattiace had just taken the outright lead at 6-under after an eight-foot eagle putt.
Weir was on the chase again. He stepped and delivered a perfect drive right down the middle of the fairway. A solid approach shot from 128 yards left Weir a 20-footer for birdie. He read the right-to-left effort correctly but burned the left edge of the cup. Another par.
Singh, the 2000 Masters champion, dropped back to 3-under at this point after missing a short part putt at No. 12. He showed his frustration by throwing the ball in the water.
Not the best of shots off the tee at the par-3, 155-yard No. 12 hole left Weir to the far left of the green with the pin on the other side. A 60-foot birdie effort missed right and rolled past five feet. But before Weir could try his par putt, his playing partner met disaster.
Maggert's Masters hopes disappeared after putting back-to-back shots in the creek as Weir watched and scoring a 5-over eight on the par-3 hole.
Once Maggert's horror show was finally done Weir once again saved par, showing tremendous confidence in draining the five-footer.
Then came the par-5, 510-yard No. 13, the hole Weir bogeyed in the third round after hitting the creek on his second shot. Just as Weir walked down the fairway the leaderboard changed on him, Mattiace going to 7-under after a birdie on No. 15.
Weir had 193 yards to the green for his second shot, but he drove his ball to the left side of the fairway. He carried the creek easily but rolled off the left-side of the green. The pin was on the right side, leaving Weir a difficult up and down.
Before Weir attempted long putt off the low fringe, Mattiace increased his lead to three strokes with yet another birdie, this one at No. 16.
Weir's long putt had too much on it, and nearly rolled off the green on the other side where the creek was awaiting. But his ball held on just before the fringe and Weir had an 10-footer going uphill for birdie. Weir answered the bell, making the birdie putt and pumping his fist while going to 6-under, two strokes back of Mattiace.
Just as Mattiace tapped in for par at No. 17 to remain 8-under, Weir's second shot at the par-4, 440-yard No. 14 hole landed in the middle of the green before catching the slope and rolling away from the pin. His long birdie try was short and left him six feet for par. And yet again, the Canadian star dropped it in to stay at 6-under.
Mattiace found trouble at No. 18, missing the fairway on his drive and landing in the pine needles under the trees. He punched out back into the fairway on his second shot. His approach was at the back of the green and he wrapped up his brilliant round with a bogey-five.
Weir, meanwhile, missed the fairway to the left at the par-5, 500-yard No. 15 hole, leaving his ball deep in the high grass which hadn't been cut since Monday. He layed up with a short iron and put the ball in front of the water, leaving him about 85 yards to the hole for his third shot. And what a third shot, one that may be replayed for years to come. His ball planted the green two feet from the pin as the gallery erupted. The cheered even louder when he dropped the birdie putt to tie for the lead at 7-under.
Weir and Maggert arrived at the first-hole green to find a gallery half the size of the one that squeezed around there two groups earlier. But once Tiger was gone to the No. 2 hole, his army followed him.
It was important for Weir to start strong after his back-breaking back nine of the third round, when he blew a six-shot lead with a 3-over 39.
Weir's approach at the par-4, 435-yard No. 1 hole was too heavy, finding the fringe at the back of the green with the pin some 50 feet away at the left front. But Weir recovered with a solid downhill putt that rolled past three feet, which he made for par.
While Weir was looking on, Maggert's Masters took a major downturn on the par-4, 350-yard No. 3 hole when his second shot from the fairway bunker hit the lip and bounced back to hit him. That's a two-stroke penalty. So while Weir rolled in another par to stay at 4-under, Maggert took a triple-bogey seven. Weir was back in the lead at the Masters at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Weir had the galleries cheering again at the par-3, 180-yard No. 6 hole with a brilliant six-iron that landed two feet from the pin. As he walked down to the green and acknowledged the fervent cheers of the crowd, he coolly stepped up and drained the birdie to go five-under par, giving himself a two-stroke lead at that point over Maggert and Mattiace.
Weir's second shot at the par-5, 570-yard No. 8 hole went to the front-left behind the mounds, not a good place to be. His chip on the following shot barely made it to the front of the green. But a beautiful loft shot left him five feet for par, which he sank in yet another save.
Woods, at this time, was making the turn at 2-over, not what he had in mind.
Weir's approach shot at the par-4, 460-yard No. 9 hole was right in the middle of the green, leaving him about 20 feet for birdie. He settled for a par after missing the hole to the right, making the turn with a 2-under 34 and a one-shot lead on Mattiace and two ahead of Maggert and Singh.
Last edited:
