Landslide fan favorite Weir gets vote of confidence in Canada

Never had a Woods defeat sent so many folks home happy.

As expected, with the cup outcome all but assured, the cup became focused on a singular skirmish, not the entire battle campaign. By the time Woods and Weir teed off on the first hole, a Montreal Police Department officer assigned to the group estimated that 20,000 fans were lining the fairway.

Fans were shinnying up into the trees on the first hole to get a better look at their national hero, and he certainly made it worth the climb. Woods lipped out birdie attempts on the first two holes and quickly found himself 3 down to Weir, even whacking a driver out of bounds on No. 6.

"It was similar to a Ryder Cup, actually, especially early when he was 2 and then 3 up," Woods said. As always, he found a way to rally, winning four of five holes in the middle of the match to take the lead. Weir rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on the 17th to square the match, and when Woods badly yanked his drive into the water on the 18th, it was all over but the shouting, as the saying goes.

Woods' tee shot came to rest within a few feet of a guy carrying a large Canadian flag, and one fan quickly removed his trousers and waded into the weeds to find Woods' ball as a keepsake of the momentous day. Well, it was memorable if you are a Canadian, anyway.

"I have mixed feelings," Weir said. "I'm happy that I won, but I'm a little down. It's my fourth Presidents Cup and I've never been on a winning team."

Weir certainly did all he could. He finished with a team-best 3-1-1 mark, which isn't bad for a guy who was criticized as a politically correct pick after finishing a distant 20th on the International team points list. Once he made the team, he had to justify his inclusion in front of 35,000 screaming Canadians daily.

Amazingly, after a lackluster season, Weir seemed to get better as the week wore on and the fan attention continued to heighten.

"I'm proud of him," Woods said. "He had the weight of a country on his shoulders."

That said, forget Charest's post, which is the equivalent of a governor's position in a U.S. state. Why set your sites so low?

"He's now definitely the president," teammate Ernie Els said.

Actually, after the way Weir re-launched his career this week, that would require a pay cut.