By Steve Keating
TORONTO (Reuters) - The burden of carrying home grown hopes at the Canadian Open is starting weigh a little more heavily on Mike Weir's slender shoulders.
For almost two decades the diminutive lefty has been the standard-bearer at the national championship but this year, battling tendonitis in his right arm, Weir might find it harder to wave the flag.
Since winning the 2003 U.S. Masters and returning home a national hero, many are looking for Weir to end the 56-year drought.
Weir has never shied away from the challenge of winning at home and despite the nagging aches and pains will be on the first tee Thursday morning at St. George's Golf Club.
"I can't see myself withdrawing, I'll play through it," Weir told reporters after cutting his Pro-Am round short on Wednesday. "I just got tendonitis in my arm... Started bugging me a little bit last week at the British Open.
"I put a little brace on it Monday when we played, and that seemed to do the trick pretty well.
"I mean, that's part of getting older, I guess. You get little aches and pains," laughed Weir, who just celebrated his 40th birthday.
It has not been a vintage year for Weir, who owns a nearby Niagara winery.
After opening the season with a sixth-place finish at the Bob Hope Classic, Weir has not had a top 20 result, missing the cut in four of his last six events, including the British Open.
But a classic tree-lined St. George's layout, where there is premium on course management and accuracy, will play to Weir's strengths.
While Weir remains the undisputed fan favorite, Canada's best hope for a home grown winner might be a 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie, who grew up in Saskatchewan idolizing the lefty.
Graham DeLaet has been riding a rookie roller-coaster, missing more cuts than he has made.
But he has a third place finish at the Houston Open on his young resume and was in contention last week at the Reno-Tahoe Open, matching the course record before imploding with a final-round 78 to finish in a tie for 31st.
Coming on the heels of the British Open, the Canadian stop has struggled to attract a top field but there will be no shortage of quality contenders.
Briton Paul Casey, arrives in Toronto riding the momentum of a third place finish at St. Andrews while American Sean O'Hair, who has finished third twice in Canada, is carrying superb form finishing 12th or higher in five of his last six starts.
(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)
