Mike Weir to take indefinite break from golf to focus on family
Friday 17 July 2015 20:47, UK
Former Masters champion Mike Weir has announced he will take an indefinite leave of absence from golf for personal reasons.
The Canadian, who became the first left-hander to win the Masters at Augusta National in 2003, has struggled with his form and fitness over the last year.
The 45-year-old has missed 12 cuts in 15 starts in 2015, and has withdrawn from the other three events including last week's John Deere Classic shortly after teeing off in the second round.
Weir has not given any indication of when he will return, and he admitted it was a tough decision to pull out of his home RBC Canadian Open in Ontario next week.
A statement released on Twitter read: "To all my fans, I will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from golf competition, effective today.
"Family is incredibly important to me and I have decided to take some time to focus on my personal life and children. Although there is no set timeline for my return, I love the game and will return when the time is right.
"It was extremely difficult to make the decision to forego this year's RBC Canadian Open, as I love playing in front of the Canadian fans. At this time though I know the focus needs to be on my family.
"I look forward to teeing up again in front of Canada at our National Open very soon. Thank you to all my fans for their understanding and continued support."