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TSN Senior Reporter

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Mike Weir has always been an optimist. When he was winning, he believed he could get better. When he struggled, a good round was always going to be the next one.

Of course that could be applied to just about every golf professional, even a lot of amateurs. Hope springs eternal, especially walking off the 18th hole.

What was sometimes missing in Weir, however, was the reality of the bad days, the acceptance of when things weren't going so well.

But now, a month from his 45th birthday, a more relaxed and less intense Weir seems willing to acknowledge when his game has gone askew. This is one such time. Weir has been putting well, has chipped and pitched with precision and even his approach shots into the greens are dialed in.

But by his own admission, the big stick is giving him fits.

"I'm not very good with the driver," Weir admitted after nine holes alongside Canadian amateur Corey Conners on Wednesday morning. "It's a bit of a struggle."

While the 2003 champion hit some solid tee shots, there were also a few wayward ones that might be OK on a Wednesday but won't look so good on Thursday. The cause of those loose tee balls is the same forearm injury that forced him out of Northern Trust Open back in February. While it's the same arm as the one on which he had surgery, this isn't related to that.

"It just kind of gets weak as the day goes on," admitted Weir. "I can't keep it straight at the top of the backswing and that's where the problem starts. It gets stiff and it kind of fatigues."

It was a frank admission from the lefthander, one that he may not have made a decade ago. He still hunts for answers, still works hard to correct the mistakes and still has the firm belief that he can play well here, but he knows that this week will be anything but easy if his driving doesn't shore up.

The injury has forced him to be stingy with his practice sessions. Much of his time has been spent chipping and putting, shots that don't tax his arm. He even skipped the Par 3 contest to rest his injured wing.

While the driver may not be co-operating, Weir does have a wealth of emotions from the past to fuel his game.

"It's the Mecca for golf," said Weir, who will play the tournament for the 16th time. "It's where you want to be. I was lucky enough to win here so it just brings back such special memories, year in and year out. It never gets old. Every year I look forward to coming here."

So what can we expect from Weir this week? Even he isn't quite sure.

"I'm trying to keep my expectations in check," he stated. "I just want to get into a nice flow, a rhythm of the game, and enjoy myself. When you do that, hopefully you can do some good things."

Weir has done good things around here over the years. And maybe he'll do some more here this week. But if he doesn't, there's always next year.