Weir headlines Frys.com Open

He wasn’t exactly the first choice among left-handers when the Frys.com Open folks went looking for golfers for their tournament at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale.

But being the defending champ, well, Mike Weir will have to do. Besides, the little Canadian is the highest-ranked player (at No. 22) in the Frys.com Open, which tees off Oct. 23-26.

On the other hand, Phil Mickelson, who failed to make the cut here last year, won’t be in the field despite indicating a year ago that he planned to return. Apparently, the “other’’ Lefty is taking some time off so he can make some worldly appearances (and big money) in places like Shanghai and Singapore come November.

“I always look forward to playing (in Scottsdale) ... and being the defending champ, well, I’m not going to miss that,’’ said the 38-year-old Weir, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 Masters.

“I’ve got a lot of friends down there in Scottsdale, like Brian Savage who used to play for the Coyotes. In fact, last year we had a great time on Sunday night at Brian’s house after I’d won (the tournament), and I’ll always remember that.’’

The party at Savage’s after a large Canadian contingent of fans serenaded Weir with “Oh, Canada’’ was a memorable moment. But so was breaking out of a nearly four-year victory drought.

“I remember I had some momentum coming in, having just played in the Presidents Cup, where I was lucky enough to beat Tiger (Woods) in singles,’’ Weir said. “And I remember the final round at Grayhawk just kind of set up for my game.’’

Weir, who is known as an excellent “wind player’’ for his low ball flight, managed to hang on for a 68 in gusts that ranged from 20 to 30 mph that day. His final effort proved to be more than enough as the average score for the final round of the Frys was 74.5.

“It kind of reminded me of when I won the Bob Hope (in 2003),’’ Weir said. “We had three great days of weather, and then Sunday just got really, really tough.

“I guess in a way that was to my benefit because I like to keep the ball low. It just all worked out.’’

Weir always has flown under the radar. The former BYU All-American is soft-spoken and doesn’t seek the spotlight, which partly explains why he still lives in Salt Lake City.

“I just kind of stuck around there after college, kept skiing and playing golf, and I ended up really liking it,’’ Weir said.

As for Weir’s career, it started nicely with wins in 1999 (Air Canada Championship), 2000 (World Golf Championship) and 2001 (Tour Championship). The big year, of course, was 2003 when he captured the Bob Hope and Nissan Open before hitting the jackpot at the Masters.

“I’m not really sure what the Masters did for me, other than fulfill a dream come true,’’ he said when asked about his only win in the majors. “It was a thrill, even if it didn’t necessarily change my outlook.’’

Even though that answer might sound a little ho-hum, what Weir was really saying is that he still wants to win more majors, and that he’s not done yet.

“I’m still very, very motivated,’’ he said. “I think I can do a lot more.’’

This year, Weir won $2.7 million on the strength of making 18 of 24 cuts that included six top 10s.

He was runner-up at the Memorial and Deutsche Bank Championship, and finished sixth in the Tour Championship, which vaulted him to sixth in the final FedEx Cup standings.

“Overall, it was a good year except for not winning,’’ Weir said.

In that regard, he’s got two more shots — even though the actual PGA Tour season has ended. Prior to the Frys.com Open, he’ll play the week before in Las Vegas at the Justin Timberlake-Shriner Hospitals for Children Open.

“Those are easy events for me to play in because they’re close to home,’’ Weir said. “But I always love to play on the West Coast. It just suits me.’’

Weir doesn’t get back to Canada much these days. But when he does, he makes it a point to do “all those things that are Canadian.’’

“The first thing is grab a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee,’’ he said, his voice rising at the thought. “Then I’ll get a Harvey’s hamburger.

“Those are my favorites, and of course we’ve got some pretty good Canadian beer up there, so every once in a while, I’ll grab a brew, too.’’

Of course, you don’t have to be north of the border to enjoy a Molson or a Labatt’s Blue, as Weir proved a year ago on his way to winning the Frys.com Open.

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