Mike Weir
Mike Weir is set to make his 2012 European Tour debut next week at the Open de Andalucia Costa del Sol event in Span.
The Masters champion will be one of five major winners in the field at the Aloha Golf Club which includes European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, Open champion Paul Lawrie and U.S. Open champions Michael Campbell and Rich Beem.
The tournament will mark a return to Spain for Weir, who captured the 2000 WGC-American Express Championship when it was played at Valderrama. The Brights Grove, Ont., golfer held off Lee Westwood by two strokes to triumph over a world class field that included Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Nick Price.
"I'm looking forward to returning to Spain next week," said Weir. "I have very fond memories of winning a World Golf Championship event early in my career, and it will be special to play there again. I have always enjoyed the golf courses in Spain and have heard that Aloha is an outstanding golf course. It will be a fun week."
Weir is taking advantage of a 12-year exemption on the European Tour given to him for his 2003 Masters victory. He is using European Tour events to fill out his 2012 golf schedule as he attempts to regain his full PGA Tour status after almost two injury filled seasons.
After a difficult 2011 season, Weir made the decision last fall to undergo elbow surgery after withdrawing from the second round of the RBC Canadian Open in Vancouver. He returned just over six months later in January of this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but has missed the cut in all three PGA events he's played in.