Weir's opening 63 leads in Mercedes

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

KAPALUA, Maui — The 2002 PGA Tour season opened on an impossibly beautiful day that made all things appear possible in the first round of the Mercedes Championships.

Mike Weir of Canada hits the first drive of the PGA Tour season off the first tee at the Kapalua Plantation Course to start the first round of the Mercedes Championships. Associated Press

Duval is tied for third with Cameron Beckman, Chris DiMarco, Scott Verplank and defending champion Jim Furyk, a shot behind Frank Lickliter and four behind Weir. It would have been more but Weir three-putted once — for par — and missed five other putts within nine feet.

"It's tough to assess how my putting was today — I had so many kick-ins," he said with a grin. "I never felt like I could get in a flow. When I had a 10-footer, it felt like it was 30 feet. I didn't really roll my mid-range putts very well.

"I'm not complaining at all."

Then Weir tried to envision what might have been, and barely found words.

"Obviously, it could have ... if everything really went absolutely perfect, in a perfect world — which isn't golf — it could have been ridiculous really," he stuttered. "Could have been 14 under or something if I just made a few 10-footers. I don't want to sound like I'm whining. It was one of those days where my irons were dialed in, felt comfortable. I hit it close."

How close? Weir didn't have a birdie putt longer than six feet on the front, where he shot 29 with the three-putt. He went to eight under by sinking one from seven inches on No. 10. After consecutive eight-foot birdie putts on the 15th and 16th, he closed with one from 14 inches on the final green.

All with a spanking new set of irons he first played Wednesday. "Kind of cemented in my mind today that I did the right thing," Weir said, grinning again.

This is Weir's first tournament in a month. A month before that, he became the first international winner of the Tour Championship to earn his Mercedes invitation. In 1997 and '98, he was playing in the Qualifying School. He has graduated to become the first Canadian ranked among the world's Top 10.

Today, 31 of the planet's premier players will be chasing him. One is Tiger Woods, who started his quest for a fourth consecutive Player of the Year award with a 5-under 68 yesterday that included two eagles and surges of scrambling.

It was barely enough to keep the 2000 Mercedes champion in the Top 10, as light winds created a kinder, gentler, all-but-unrecognizable Plantation.

Lickliter's solo second came via a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole. That surprise followed two others: A five-foot eagle putt at the fifth and an 8-iron shot he holed from 144 yards on the 15th, giving him an improbable birdie after he hooked his second shot in a hazard.

"It was kind of cool," Lickliter said.

Verplank would have been with him, but bogeyed the final hole after his second shot rolled into a divot. Furyk salvaged a par on the 18th, after reaching six under at the 15th.

Duval had aspirations of catching Weir early, going out in 30, but was only even-par on the back. He attributed his cool-down phase to degree of difficulty, and simply the strange look so little wind gave the golf course.

Lickliter's analysis was not quite that deep.

"It's a fun golf course," he said. "You know, you look up, it's gorgeous no matter where you are. It's spectacular."

• SHORT PUTTS: David Duval, Scott Hoch and Jesper Parnevik's teams all shot 19-under-par 54 to win Wednesday's Pro-Am. ... Mike Weir initially planned to play in next week's Sony Open in Hawai'i, but has since withdrawn. ... Seventeen-year-old Ty Tryon, the high school junior who became the youngest player to earn his PGA Tour card, will open the season in the Phoenix Open (Jan. 24-27), his agent said yesterdays ... In the 50-year history of the Mercedes Championships, five players have defended a title. The last was Lanny Wadkins, in 1983 and '84. ... Sunday's winner gets $720,000 and a 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Sport. ... Tiger Woods will play in the New Zealand Open next week.