Weir Shows Nerves of Steel

He casually practiced his putting stroke, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings as he rolled ball after ball in the general vicinity of the hole, exhibiting no reaction when nearly all the putts missed their target.

At one point, he stopped to joke about two spectators poised precariously on a nearby tree in order to watch the 18th green at the Riviera Country Club on Sunday.

But he exhibited no reaction to the cheers and sighs coming from that green 25 yards away up a hill, gave no indication that his fate in the 2003 Nissan Open might be decided there at that moment, his chance to win an additional $324,000 by finishing first rather than second, his opportunity to get his second PGA Tour victory of the year in this, his fourth tournament, along with his fifth win.

There was no outward sign that Mike Weir was caught in the twilight zone of golf, neither winner nor loser.

Weir shot a 66 on Sunday to finish the regulation 72 holes nine under par. But as Weir finished, Charles Howell III, just teeing off on the 17th hole, was also nine under, and Nick Price, playing alongside Howell, was only two strokes back.

So did Weir spend the next 20 minutes crouched in front of a television with sweaty palms?

Hardly.

He paused to sign a few autographs, strolled out to the driving range to swing several irons and his driver, ate a turkey sandwich and a health bar, chatted with a tournament official about the recent Super Bowl and sipped water.

Weir didn’t look at a television monitor, following the progress of Howell and Price only through updates from his caddie, Brennan Little.

“I would rather be out there playing than waiting,” Weir said, “but I’m not nervous. It’s out of my control. Whatever happens, happens.”

When he learned that he and Howell were heading for a sudden-death playoff, the casual look became one of determination. And the casual putter became a serious marksman, nailing the match-deciding putt on the second extra hole.

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Bill Craft, a marshal at the Nissan Open, says ringing cell phones keep him jumping. Despite the opening-round outburst by Tiger Woods at a cell-phone user, yet another fan got caught with his phone in use by Craft on Sunday.

It’s just the latest distraction encountered by Craft in his three decades as a volunteer worker at the tournament.

In the past, he has seen play on the 18th green interrupted by noisy fans, excessive drinkers, even an intruder who allegedly had a firearm and was tackled by security officials.

But Craft’s most memorable attention grabber was an unidentified female spectator sitting on the hill overlooking the 18th hole. She had neglected to wear undergarments, causing many of the fans to ignore the green and fix their gaze back up the hill.

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Woods’ 65 on Sunday tied his best at Riviera, equaling the score he shot in the third round in 1999.

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Arron Oberholser, who finished 10 strokes back, predicts he’ll improve when he figures out Riviera.

“I’ve got to learn the valley effect here,” he said. “It seems like the whole course slopes away from the clubhouse. Everything breaks toward the ocean.”