SARNIA, Ontario (AP) — Mike Weir already has a green jacket. Now he's got a park named after him.
Hundreds of fans braved damp, chilly weather to attend a ceremony in which Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley dedicated a community park to the 2003 Masters champion, renaming the city's Huron View Park as Mike Weir Park.
"It's real special," said Weir, a former BYU golfer. "I don't think I ever dreamed that it would ever happen . . . it was really nice."
The 33-year-old Weir currently lives in Utah but grew up in Bright's Grove, a hamlet within the city of Sarnia.
"I grew up here and went to the schools and was just like any other kid that had a dream," he said. "It was pretty special to have it come true like that."
Weir has been a household name in this country since he became the first Canadian to win the Masters. With his busy schedule, the left-hander said he only makes it home a few times a year but added it's always a treat to return.
"I was lucky enough to get home for my mom to cook a home-cooked meal last night, which I hadn't had in a long time," Weir said.
Plans to rename the park were first announced shortly after Weir's victory at the Masters.
Weir also presented a check for about $56,000 toward the children's wing of a hospital that is going to be built in the city. It's the first donation from his newly created Mike Weir Foundation.