When Mike Weir made his acceptance speech after winning the 2003 Masters, he said he hoped that his victory would inspire some young Canadian golfers.
It is impossible to know just how many Canadian kids picked up a golf club after watching Weir beat Len Mattiace in a playoff that day at Augusta National. However, the impact of Weir’s performance is already visible on the PGA Tour.
Players like Graham DeLaet and Corey Conners were both young when they watched Weir and realized that someone from small-town Canada could win on golf’s grandest stage and in the process, Weir inspired both players to become a professional golfer.
Weir said he is very proud of the fact that his win influenced the next generation of young golfers in this country.
The 51-year-old southpaw, who grew up in Bright’s Grove, Ont., became the first Canadian-born men’s player to win a major and the first lefthander to win the Masters.
Every time he visits Augusta National, he says, the memories came rushing back and he relives some of the shots. One of the more memorable shots on that final Sunday came on the 18th green. Weir hit a clutch eight-foot putt and went on to win the playoff and a lifetime invitation to the Champions Dinners. This will be his 23rd start at The Masters.
Other Canadians hit the road to The Masters
Augusta National will see and additional two Canadians tee it up at the 2022 Masters: Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes.
It will be the third Masters tournament for Hughes and Conners will be making his fifth start, after finishing tied for 8th at last year’s tournament.
Corey Conners
His best finish came last year when he was in contention, finishing 8th. With eight Top 10 finishes last season, and $4-million in earnings and an improved putting stroke, with some new short game tricks Conners’ breakthrough at a major could happen sooner than many think. He is also coming off a third place finish at the World Golf Championships with a victory over Dustin Johnson.
Mackenzie Hughes
He already has two Top 10 finishes on tour this year, after four in 2021. Many of Hughes best results have been on his biggest stages: finishing T15 at the U.S. Open and in the Top 10 at the
British Open. His world ranking will get him into all of the key events for the year, including a start at the British Open. This is the year Hughes could cement himself as one of the game’s true stars.