Three Major winners will tee off at the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol to be held at Aloha Golf, Marbella on March 15-18.
Mike Weir will join fellow major winners Michael Campbell and Rich Beem at the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol but defending champion Paul Lawrie and Ryder Cup Captain Jose Maria Olazabal have both been forced to withdraw, Lawrie through illness and Olazabal with a foot injury.
Weir returns to the Costa del Sol 12 years after his win at the 2000 American Express Championship at Valderrama, where he prevailed over a world-class field led by Tiger Woods.
He said: "I'm looking forward to returning to Spain next week for the Open de Andalucía. I have very fond memories of winning a World Golf Championship event in Spain early in my career, and it will be special to play there again. I have always enjoyed the golf courses in Spain and have heard that Aloha is an outstanding golf course. It will be a fun week."
Already a multiple winner on the US PGA Tour, Weir stepped into the limelight when he became the first Canadian and the first left-hander to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta in 2003. For his outstanding play, he was named Canadian Athlete of the Year. A natural right-hander, Weir plays golf left-handed as a follow-on from hockey, his childhood sport.
At age 13 Weir decided to write to Jack Nicklaus for advice as to whether he should switch sides. The golf legend quickly wrote back telling him not to change anything if it felt natural. Weir keeps the framed letter amongst his most treasured possessions alongside his green jacket.
After struggling with injuries since 2010, he finally underwent elbow surgery which kept him six months away from the game. Weir made the best of the situation by sharing his time between his wine business and his Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids Foundation. At present, he is working to regain his form with the help of his great friend Nick Price.
He hopes to return to winning ways at the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol, an event which has been a stepping-stone to success for many players in the past.
The Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol is held under the main sponsorship of the Tourist, Commerce and Sports Board of Andalusia, The Costa del Sol Tourist Board, the Provincial Council of Málaga, ACOSOL, and the Municipality Commonwealth of the Western Costa del Sol.
The official tournament suppliers are Kyocera, Ocho Golf, Ping, Srixon, Luxury Spain, AMG, Hotel Barceló Marbella and Helicópteros Sanitarios, with the additional contribution of Urania and Hummingbird. Miguel Ángel Jiménez, the 18-time European Tour Champion, is the promoter of the event through his MAJ Group.
