Weir’s Not Sharp, Reavie Hot, Abbey Not For Sale

After filing an opus on Canadians who made the cut (Weir, Mills, Hearn, Risdon, Taylor, DeCorso, Leggatt, etc.) and those who didn’t (Ames, Short, Parr, etc.), I wandered down into Glen Abbey’s valley holes to watch Mike Weir play while the sun began to fade.

It wasn’t the same Weir who played on Thursday. This version missed a bunch of fairways, hit a pull-hook on 9, blocked one into the bunkers on 13, and slice faded one on 16. The driver wasn’t sharp, though Weir wouldn’t admit as much during a perfunctory scrum with the media after his round which lasted less than two minutes. Interestingly, Weir is clearly a follower of the Rotella school of sports psychology. When an interviewer from the Golf Channel attempted to get Weir to admit that his putting was off, Weir responded coolly that his putting was fine – but his putts hadn’t found the cup. It is an interesting distinction that Rotella says pros should use to help their confidence while on the greens.

Weir played his final hole of the night – the lengthy 16th – by slicing his tee shot into the rough, hacking it back across the fairway, again into the rough, coming up short of the green, chipping above the hole and finally making a 3-foot slider for bogey. Could have been worse, I suppose, and he did make a birdie this morning to finish 1-under on the day.

But he’s well back of leader, and PGA Tour rookie Chez Reavie, who lit up the course yesterday. Reavie joined a bunch of hack golf writers – I was unable to attend unfortunately – on Monday at Copetown Woods for some golf at the behest of the uber-cool Quagmire Golf, who sponsor him (I’m wearing their shorts now — and they are terrific). He came along with fellow tour pro Jimmy Walker and by all accounts Walker was the more impressive player on that day. But it is Reavie who shot lights out yesterday to take the lead. I wouldn’t expect him to hang on though – especially after Anthony Kim shot 29 on his back nine, shades of Vijay Singh’s second round during the rain-soaked Canadian Open in 2004 at Glen Abbey.

As for Stephen Ames, he still looks uncomfortable at Glen Abbey, and may have been put off by the slow play of playing partner John Senden. On Ames’ 15th hole of his second round of the day, a PGA Tour official approached the group and talked about their pace of play. Ames was clearly aggitated, gesticulating wildly after the official left. For the record, Ames is a quick player. Senden, on the other hand, is slow. Ames made a bogey two holes later and missed the cut. I asked the official whether they were on the clock and he said no, he just told them to pick up the pace.

My story on the Canadian golfers in this morning’s National Post is here. I’m off today, and back at the course tomorrow.

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I felt badly for Canadian Adam Short. He played a fine round yesterday – going as low as 6-under at one point – before faltering with bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes to miss the cut. He seemed genuinely upset afterwards, especially since the cheque he’d make on the PGA Tour would likely be more than he’s made all year on the Canadian Tour. And at 30, he said, “It is make it or break it time.” Here’s hoping it is the former.

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Nick Taylor is big on game – and is already Canada’s next budding golf star. The amateur made the cut yesterday, but either the RCGA have media trained this kid, or he is just a bit shy. He didn’t have much to say after his round other than the typical responses (“I just didn’t make any putts out there,” etc.), but his father, Jay, said his son was prepared for the Canadian Open by playing in the U.S. Open last month. “When Vijay is in the round a head of you, and Justin Leonard is in the group behind you, well, it is just different,” he said. RCGA team coach Henry Brunton said while Taylor isn’t long off the tee, he has a great short game and a disposition for scoring. Sounds like James Lepp with more game…

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Glen Abbey isn’t for sale – at least that’s what ClubLink is saying. A rumor was being circulated yesterday that the course was for sale – or had even been sold – to a developer. Now this is a rumor that’s been out there for a long time, but seems to be heating up now as the Abbey and ClubLink is in a battle with the city of Oakville over taxes. Here’s my note on the matter that appeared in this morning’s Post:

Glen Abbey Golf Club, the host course for this year’s RBC Canadian Open, may have tax troubles, but there’s no plans for anything other than golf to grace its fairways.

Yesterday a rumor spread that ClubLink Corp., the King City, Ont. company that paid $40 million for Glen Abbey in 1998, was preparing to sell the course to a developer. While several holes on the course are in a wetland area and could not be developed, others remainder are on table land that is surrounded by million dollar homes and could likely be turned into housing.

But Charles Lorimer, ClubLink’s vice-president of sales and marketing, said yesterday that there is no truth to any rumblings of a sale of the course or a move to develop the land.

“We don’t comment on rumors, but this one is news to me,” said Lorimer. “We view Glen Abbey as a great golf course and the future home of many Canadian Opens to come.”

However, Lorimer did say ClubLink is involved in a dispute with the city of Oakville over taxes on the property. Oakville wants to tax Glen Abbey as if it were residential property, a move which would dramatically raise the taxes on the course.

ClubLink’s main shareholder is real estate tycoon Rai Sahi, who manages $11 billion of commercial real estate through several companies, including Mississauga, Ont.-based Morguard Corp.