Weir gets deserved call to BYU hall

PROVO — Mike Weir might bleed Canadian red and have the coveted green jacket in his closet, but it's still Cougar blue in his house.

"I really try to follow all the Cougar sports and Cougar athletics as much as I can," Weir said Wednesday night prior to being inducted into the BYU Cougar Club Hall of Fame.

The 2003 Masters champion and current Draper resident groomed his competitive swing on the fairways of Riverside Country Club from 1989 to 1992 as a member of the BYU golf team. During his four years in Provo, the Cougars won three straight Western Athletic Conference titles, and Weir finished second individually in the 1990 conference tournament. He also won three individual college tournaments.

Weir says his dreams of becoming a player on the PGA Tour were fostered during his days at BYU.

"I did dream it but was never sure it would come true," he said.

It wasn't until his senior year when Weir first believed that he had PGA Tour potential in him. During that 1992 season he played well in a string of tournaments, finished seventh individually in the NCAA championship and was named second-team All-American.

"Up until that point there were some signs, but not really a lot of signs," Weir said.

Even though he left BYU hungry for a life in professional golf, he didn't gain his PGA Tour card until five years later. A few years of hard work, playing on tours overseas and working with sports psychologist Rich Gourdin improved his mechanics and made him more mentally tough. He's now rated as one of the top 10 players in the world.

"It's probably a little above and beyond my expectations, but now that I'm here I feel like I can even go higher," Weir said.

He credits much of his success to a practice used by former coach Karl Tucker. Regardless of how well a player scored in a tournament, Tucker required him to requalify each week for the next match. Weir says that taught him to prove himself each week and work to stay on top of his game every day, which is the way life is on the PGA Tour.

"You may win one week but the next week you're starting over and nobody really cares if you won the week before, at least among the players," he said.

As for deciding to leave Canada and come to BYU, Weir says it was one of the best decisions he's ever made. He chose BYU because of Tucker's presence and demeanor in recruiting him. Tucker was one of the first people he called after winning the Masters in April.

"There was no other choice but for me to come here," Weir said.

Inducted Wednesday night along with Weir were former baseball player Gary Cooper, who starred for the Cougars from 1983-1986; former All-American volleyball player Michele Fellows Lewis, who led BYU to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA final four; and former swimmer Melanie Rile, whose school records in the 500-meter freestyle and 100-meter individual medley have stood for more than 20 years.

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E-mail: jimr@desnews.com