ASSOCIATED PRESS Mike Weir shot a 10-under 63 yesterday and will play with leader Vijay Singh today.

Weir gets a familiar
partner

KAPALUA, Maui » It would have been easy for Mike Weir to throw his bags into the trunk of his car and forget about golf for a while.

Poised to win the Bell Canadian Open last fall, the native of Sarnia, Ontario, bogeyed the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Vijay Singh. After missing a 5-footer for birdie for the win, Weir found the hazard on the third playoff hole, handing the trophy to the world's best player, much to the chagrin of his countrymen.

Later voted the Canadian athlete of the year, Weir got back on the fairway to finish in a tie for fourth at the Tour Championship. Several months later, Singh and Weir are paired again for today's third round of the $5.3 million Mercedes Championships. Does he feel like he owes Singh one?

"I did that to myself," Weir said of his shaky finish at the Canadian Open. "He (Singh) didn't do anything to me there. He won the tournament, but I felt like I gave it to him. I don't think about it anymore, but, you know, for a long while I thought about what I could have been doing better to have not been in that situation, because I was putting so poorly that week.

"I felt like I could have really distanced myself in that event. The way I was playing, it was one of those weeks that was magical ball-striking-wise. If I could have been putting like now, I guess that's the Holy Grail of golf, to get everything going at once."

Weir certainly had his putter going yesterday, touring the par-73 Plantation Course in 10-under 63 to move within two shots of the lead held by Singh. And while the atmosphere here is nothing compared to what Weir dealt with last September, there were enough of his fellow Canadians dotting the course yesterday to give him an emotional lift.

"I was having so much fun there (at the Canadian Open) with the crowd and everything," Weir said. "I think looking back if I could have done something different I would have been a little bit more focused maybe. I think I was interacting with the crowd so much that possibly that may have been a factor.

"Maybe I did get caught up in it a little bit because I was having a lot of fun. I was having a blast up there. You know, you live and learn with every tournament. It's a much more casual atmosphere here, where, compare it to the Canadian Open, it was like a Russian vs. Canadian hockey game, big time. It was fun to interact (with Canadian fans) here because it's such a casual atmosphere."

Weir added to his relaxed state by birdieing four of the first six holes en route to a 30 on the front nine. He didn't make up any ground on Singh, who also had a 30 over the first nine holes, but on the back side, Weir cut Singh's lead in half to trail by only two.

"I just knew I needed to keep going (to keep pace with Singh)" said Weir, who needed only 23 putts on the controversial Plantation Course greens and had eight one-putts on the front nine. "When I birdied 14, I looked up when we were by 15, you saw he was 13 or 14 under through 10 or 11 holes, so I figured I need to finish this round strong as well because he's going to be 15 or 16 at the end of the day the way he's going."

For the second straight year, Weir opted not to play at next week's Sony Open in Hawaii. When learning from a local reporter that Brigham Young roommate Dean Wilson, a Castle alumnus, was the fourth alternate and not likely to be playing next week, it left Weir a little cold.

"I don't know what it is, respect?" Weir said. "The only player on tour from Hawaii and for him not to get in to the Sony Open in years past, let alone now when he needs it, when he's a tour member, is a bit embarrassing for the tournament quite frankly.

"You've got to support your local guy and he's been a great representative. He's won two Japanese majors and won seven or eight times in Japan. It's not like he's not a good player. He's proven himself going back to the Q-school getting back up there. I think it's too bad if he doesn't get in."

As for Weir, he'd like nothing better than to get back into the winner's circle tomorrow, but knows today's round is key.

"I had a great (second) round and I wasn't expecting to shoot that low of a round because I haven't been playing," Weir said. "It was just nice to see some putts go in and hopefully I can keep it going (today)."