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TSN Senior Reporter

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Mike Weir will return to the PGA Tour. At the moment, however, he’s just not quite sure when that will be.

In his first interview since stepping away from the PGA Tour last July, Weir sounded refreshed and excited about getting back to work following an extended break.

“Life is great,” said Weir from his home in Utah. “It’s been good to be home.”

The eight-time PGA Tour winner put his golf career on hold after his marriage to former wife Bricia ended last year. Weir decided he needed to be at home and spend time with his two daughters rather than chasing golf balls.

The sabbatical included lots of much-needed dad stuff: attending his girls’ soccer games, taking a vacation to Europe and visiting with family and friends.

It also included a seven-week break from his golf clubs, probably the longest he’s gone without swinging a club since his junior days. He’s now back at his game, ready to try and re-groove the swing that led him to as high as No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I’m motivated to get back to work,” Weir stated, the enthusiasm in his voice making him sound like a kid about to play on a Saturday morning. “I feel like I have a good plan in place and I’m working hard at it.”

Weir, who turns 46 in May, has entrusted his re-build to noted golf instructor David Leadbetter. The two spent a week together last July before the Canadian golfer took his leave and more recently they’ve been sharing videos and trading messages, which has become common in the teacher-student relationship.

Weir said he’s full of excitement for where things are going but not yet ready to think about a return date.

“I have no set plans at this point about when I’m coming back to the PGA Tour,” he stated. “I want to get my golf game right and feel like myself again before that happens.”

While he’s seen progress on the work he’s doing with Leadbetter, rounds with friends tell him he’s not yet PGA Tour-ready with his game. Although he’s considering playing in Greg Norman’s annual Shark Shootout in December, he won’t go back to tournament golf until he feels confident that he can compete.

“I can tell you it was no fun shooting 75,” Weir said referring to his struggles last year where he made one cut in 18 starts.

Clearly, as much as this break was good for his swing, it may be even more important for his mental outlook. The stresses in his personal life accompanied by the poor play on the course certainly didn’t make it easy for the ever-optimistic Weir.

“My peace of mind is better,” he admitted. “Right now, not to have a time table for when I’m going to return lets me just work on my game at my pace. I’ll know when I’m ready.”

When he does decide to play again, he’ll be limited in the starts he can make. He can play four tournaments on a major medical exemption and has another four on a minor medical. The latter category is well down the exemption priority ranking and will be tough to utilize.

He can also apply for sponsor exemptions and should find some success there too.

While Weir hasn’t spent much time watching golf, he did catch parts of the Presidents Cup, an event with which he is very familiar having played for the International side five times, including a memorable one in Montreal where he knocked of Tiger Woods in singles play.

He said the competitive atmosphere of this year’s event drew him in and made him realize he was missing that part of his golf.

While Weir may not play on another International team, he would love the opportunity to be part of the squad as a captain or assistant.

“I think I can bring a lot to the team,” he said. “That event has always been special for me.”

For now, Weir will continue to work on his swing and enjoy his time at home. He’s ready for the next chapter in his career, whatever that may hold.