Weaver dedicates Amateur victory to Virginia Tech victims
Monday June 25 2007
TWO months ago he was hiding in the university library while a bug-eyed gunman who thought that life owed him a killing was shooting dead 32 of his classmates and teachers.
On Saturday at Lytham Drew Weaver became the first American winner of the Amateur Championship since Jay Sigel in 1979, with invitations to the Open Championship and the US Masters.
After his victory the 20-year-old Weaver looked back at the massacre at Virginia Tech and said: "I definitely dedicate this victory to them (the victims). I was 100 yards away in the building adjacent to Norris Hall when it started. I had to sprint to the library where we were locked down for three-and-a-half hours. We could hear the shots. It was traumatic.
"Nobody could have prevented it. That guy had some things going on in his head that weren't right.
"I am so glad that I can carry the Virginia Tech golf bag and do something like this and maybe get some positive vibes going," added Weaver, who had his father caddying for him at the tournament.
Bulletin
Weaver came to this championship as the 165th-ranked college player in the United States and now he will be on every news bulletin in America. No matter the poverty of the American ranking system, the kid can clearly play.
Weaver even allowed himself a bit of a wobble when his opponent Tim Stewart of Australia won four holes in a row having been six down with six to play. But Weaver finally managed to persuade a seven foot par putt into the hole on the 17th green in order to confirm the victory that he deserved. It will be interesting to see if George 'Buddy' Marucci now picks Weaver for the American Walker Cup team to play Great Britain and Ireland at Royal Co Down in September.
He may just be stubborn enough to pretend that Weaver's previous record matters more than his achievements this week. But Marucci would be mad not to pick a player who has won six consecutive matches on a links course, and all that from a quarter of the draw that included likely Walker Cup players in Rory McIlroy, Lloyd Saltman and Kevin McAlpine.(© Telegraph, London)
- Mark Reason
