The number of struggling former long-time PGA Tour players heading to Europe is on the increase with former Augusta National winning hero Mike Weir set to make his debt as a full European Tour member at next week’s Andalucian Open in Spain.
Weir, 41 has not played a European Tour since contesting the 2007 Hong Kong Open as part of the 2008 schedule.
Mike Weir making his European Tour debut at next week's Andalucian Open. (Photo - www.mikeweir.com)
Of course, Weir travelled to Spain in 2000 to capture the WGC – American Express Championship at Valderrama.
Howevere it’s been 15 years since the Ontario born golfer last teed up in a regular event in Europe proper and that was way back in 1997 when he contested both the Maderia Islands Open and German Open.
Weir, who now lives in Utah, wrote himself into golf’s history books in becoming only the second left-hander to win a Major in capturing the 2003 Masters and 40 years after Bob Charles won the 1963 Open Championship.
Weir’s Augusta success is also still the first and only Major win by a Canadian.
However Weir has endured a wretched past few years since since suffering a torn ligament on his right elbow that later required surgery.
Weir commenced 2011 on a major medical exemption, which meant he would have to earn the difference between his 2010 earning and $786,977 that was the figure earned by the player who finished 125th on the Tour’s money list) in five starts to retain full Tour status.
However that did not work out as Weir’s injuries continued through last year.
His 2012 season has seen Weir miss the cut in all three of his PGA Tour events this year including last week’s Honda Classic.
And that comes on top of last year when Weir played in 15 Tour events but made the cut in just two and that was finishing well down in 70th place in the AT & T National.
Weir’s last top-10 in finishing in a share of sixth in his first event of 2010, the Bob Hope Classic.
Weir heads to Europe joining fellow fomer long time PGA Tour based Major Champions, Rich Beem, Todd Hamilton and Shaun Micheel who have also taken up European Tour membership.
Beem and Weir earned a 10-year Tour exemption in winning Major Championship titles with Beem’s exemption to expire at the end of this year and Weir’s at the close of 2013.
Hamilton is exempt to the end of 2014 courtesy of his 2004 Open success at Royal Troon while Micheel’s exemption in winning the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill expires at the end of next year.
Weir will tee up in the Miguel Angel Jimenez hosted event looking for a first win since capturing the 2007 PGA Tour Fry’s Electronics Open.
Beem also lost his PGA Tour card and will be seeking his first success since winning the 2002 International at Castle Pines in Denver and just prior to his one shot victory over Tiger Woods at Hazeltine.
The 41-year old Beem made his 2012 European Tour debut at the Joburg Open but missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 73.
Beem has never contested a regular ‘European soil’ tournament.
