Alright, so if you've read the "About" tab, you know what a Wounded Duck is and why a Canadian golfer named Mike Weir (AKA Weirsy) has been given that nickname. To bring some colour to the name, I thought it appropriate to share my story of seeing the Wounded Duck in action. Before I get into it, I would like to give full credit to the co-hosts of the Shotgun Start podcast, Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath, who first attributed the nickname to an unsuspecting Weirsy in a 2020 episode of theirs. Great pod for any golf lover looking to get DEEP in the weeds of the professional tours.
In June 2019, the US Open was being played at Pebble Beach Golf Links. One man scheduled to play in the event, Mike Weir, was in the midst of a career renaissance, having qualified for his first major since 2013 (this of course excludes The Masters, where past champions get an invite back every year). Let's have a brief look into Weirsy's career struggles to give some context to this feat.
So you may not know this, but Mike Weir used to be legit good. Once the fourth ranked player in the world and having won 4 times on tour from 2003 to 2004 (including the aforementioned Masters in 2003), he was one of the most well known Canadian athletes in any sport. However, Weir's time at the top was relatively short lived. While Weir played in a couple of Majors in 2013, his game really fell off a cliff in 2009, and he would only pop up on the PGA Tour occasionally through a myriad of exemptions. From this time onwards, Weirsy had multiple injuries and changes to swing coaches. Things got so bleak that at one point he resorted to wearing a "mind-reading device" on his head while playing golf. Yikes. (Source: https://www.sportsnet.ca/magazine/mike-weir/). Deep into the snake oil, Weirsy had to have known that the key thing for him over any swing thought or technique was good health, which he eventually regained.
Flash forward to 2019 and Weirsy was in the limbo stage many professional golfers go through in their 40s. Then 49, he had no status on the PGA Tour, but was not yet eligible for the Champions Tour where the minimum age is 50. This left him playing full time on the 2nd tier tour in North America (then called the Web.com Tour). Although his PGA Tour status was gone, Weirsy was not only healthy but his game was also in decent shape. This lead to him qualifying for the 119th playing of the US Open, which was to be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of the most iconic courses in the world.
The US Open is awesome because it is truly open to any decent golfer, amateurs and pros alike. So, Mike's Tour status, which was shit, did not necessarily mean he wasn't getting in. He went on the qualify the hard way, traveling to Dallas for a sectional qualifier where he played well enough to clinch a birth. Weir had come a long way from all the injuries and self doubt that plagued him for years. Above all else, him beating a bunch of good pros at sectionals was a sign of positives to come.
I've been reflecting a bit on the Weir's career and I think his improved health can be atleast partly contributed to some lifestyle changes, including the dating of one Michelle Money, which started in 2016. Money (sick), perhaps best known for her appearance on The Bachelor, is deep into the health & wellness scene and would definitely have an impact on Weir. I think getting together with Michelle must have had a positive impact on Weirsy by way of having a more meaningful life away from the game, which would alleviate pressure to play well. Maybe he got healthy around the time they started dating... maybe she cured him. Who's to say? At the minimum, he seems to be enjoying his life and looks healthy.
Anyway, back to the US Open. I was lucky enough to go down to Pebble to take in the sights and watch some golf on the Friday of the tournament. Mike Weir, among others, was definitely on my "Must See" list. All of my sense were ACTIVATED and the day was unforgettable. Let me break it down for you.
Upon getting to the property, we didn't want to overstimulate ourselves all at once by going to the signature holes, so we started out at the benign 1st, where we saw some of the greats, including C.T. Pan. We then walked the first 6 holes before posting up on the 7th tee box where we saw a bunch of guys come through and hit their tee shots on the par 5. Some takeaways from my time at the 7th tee box:
1) Patrick Cantlay, though a killer, is slow AF.
2) Jordan Spieth's grip stresses me out
3) Victor Hovland, then an amateur, hits different. I know he's won multiple times on tour
now and everybody knows him and whatever... But I can say honestly that when
Hovland hit driver on the 7th while many other seasoned pros hit 3-woods and even
driving irons, it exuded some serious skill and serious BALLS. The confidence he had
with the driver, paired with the ball speed/sound when he hit it, was extremely
noticeable. But this is not a story on Victor Hovland, so I digress.
After our time at the 7th, we continued to the 8th fairway, then the 17th teeing area, before reaching our final destination: the grand stand behind the 18th green. From here, we had an excellent view of some good golf shots, as well as some other interesting moments. One that stands out is Patrick Reed chunky a green-side chip, and then snapping a wedge over his knee, and ultimately making a 7. Cue the Happy Gilmore GIF.
The crescendo, though, came with Mike Weir standing on the fairway of the par 5, one of the most iconic holes in the game. Unfortunately for Weir, he was not going to be making the cut and playing the weekend. He did, however, have a good opportunity to post a final birdie in what ultimately was a positive experience. There's no shotlink data available (the data tracking every players every shot), so you're going to have to rely on me here... this is how it went down.
I'm scrolling through the leaderboard on my phone and see the next group coming through 18 includes Weir. I look up to the fairway and see someone swinging left-handed- Weirsy. He's in nice position, approximately here:
Figure 1: FYI 243m = 265 yards. Not far for a Tour player, by any means but whatever, that's not the point.
I will never forget what happens next. From the position he is in, he is trying to reach the green with his second shot and distance should not be an issue. He goes through his pre-shot routine, complete with his slow-motion abbreviated takeaway, and hits a wood that starts right of what I've got to assume is his target (the green), and is moving right. Translation: a pull hook. Not a DUCK hook, but not good. Weirsy was NOT going into Pacific Ocean. He ends up here:
Figure 2: Mike Weir's second shot (approximately) during his Friday round at the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach.
He's basically underneath a cypress tree and will most certainly NOT make birdie given the pin location and lack of green to work with. He ends up doing what Weirsy does, grinds out a par, and respectfully bows out of the 2019 US Open.
As I think a lot of people might have predicted, Weir has continued to play relatively well since then, now competing on the Champions Tour, and already has a few nice finishes to build on. Just yesterday, actually, he shot a 59 in a Wednesday pro-am prior to a Champions Tour event. I'm not going to say that this blog/idea for this post manifested the 59 in any way. All I'm saying is that we can't rule it out.
In closing, I'm looking forward to seeing more healthy, happy, and competitive Weirsy on the Champions Tour and odd PGA event. Even with the odd wounded duck still rearing, things are looking up for our guy.