By the skin of his teeth

Weir pockets the big cash with narrow win in pitch-off playoff

By: By Dirk Meissner Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2010

VICTORIA -- Canadian Mike Weir says he saved his best shot for his last Tuesday to win a 125-yard pitch-off and $270,000 as the Telus Skins Game was decided in an extra-hole shootout.

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VICTORIA -- Canadian Mike Weir says he saved his best shot for his last Tuesday to win a 125-yard pitch-off and $270,000 as the Telus Skins Game was decided in an extra-hole shootout.

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VICTORIA — Canadian Mike Weir says he saved his best shot for his last Tuesday to win a 125-yard pitch-off and $270,000 as the Telus Skins Game was decided in an extra-hole shootout.

The pitch-off was needed after the five golfers — South Africa’s Retief Goosen, England’s Ian Poulter, Colombia’s Camilo Villegas, Fred Couples of the United States and Weir — did not win a single skin after nine holes.

The prize money grew to include 12 skins, nine Tuesday and three left over from Monday’s nine holes.

ADRIAN LAM / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE
Camilo Villegas (front) grins as Ian Poulter high-fives Mike Weir (right) at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Skins Game. — ADRIAN LAM / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE Camilo Villegas (front) grins as Ian Poulter high-fives Mike Weir (right) at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Skins Game.

Goosen won $75,000 on Monday with five skins and Poulter won one skin and $15,000 Monday.

"It was tough to make birdies out there," said Weir, noting the five golfers only made seven birdies Tuesday and 15 birdies Monday. "It was just that kind of a day. It was kind of tough to separate yourself. We had to go to extra holes."

The golfer from Bright’s Grove, Ont., credited his win to hitting the right shot at the right time.

"That’s what skins is."

Weir narrowly missed winning a $245,000 skin on the par-4 17th, but his putt hit the edge of the hole and lipped out.

Weir said he plans to take some time off before playing in the British Open next month at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Weir said he didn’t know he won the pitch-off until a tournament official said his shot was about a foot-and-a-half ahead of the next closest by Villegas.

Villegas and sentimental crowd favourite Fred Couples of the United States went skinless over the two days. Couples was playing in his 11th skins game in Canada and has won more than $1 million.

Weir and Poulter came closest to winning skins at earlier holes, but their missed putts had the spectators groaning.

Poulter was the most animated and vocal of the golfers, often trading self-deprecating asides with spectators.

"You’re killing me," said Poulter as a spectator pointed to one of his wayward drives that landed in deep grass on a hillside near the spectators.

"Why couldn’t you kick it when it was still moving?" he said.

On the par-hole 13, Poulter rubbed his hands together greedily as he went for a birdie, but missed.

This was the 18th skins game in Canada and the fifth time it has been played in British Columbia.

The skins money was set at: $15,000 for holes one to six; $20,000 for holes seven to 12 and $25,000 for holes 13 to 18.

Telus announced it raised $925,000 from the event to donate to the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children in support of Jeneece Place, a proposed home away from home for children and their families who travel to Victoria for specialized pediatric treatment.

— The Canadian Press