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His scores hardly suggest improvement, but Sandy resident Mike Weir sounds enthusiastic about his golf game lately.
"On paper, it doesn't look very good … but I'm gaining on it," he said.
Weir will tee off Thursday in his 17th Masters appearance at Augusta National Golf Club, where he won a green jacket in 2003 and earned a lifetime exemption into the tournament. He's paired for the first two rounds with Cameron Smith of Australia and U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Sammy Schmitz, starting at 9:16 a.m. (MDT) Thursday.
Weir described himself as "very encouraged and positive," while appearing at Hidden Valley Country Club two weeks ago to promote the Drive, Chip & Putt youth competition that included contestants Cooper Jones of Highland and Aadyn Long of Lehi.
Jones finished seventh in the finals of the boys 10-11 age division at Augusta National last weekend and Long took ninth in the girls 7-9 event.
Weir shot 82-81 in the Masters last April, when injuries and swing changes held him back. Having worked extensively with instructor David Leadbetter, Weir is seeing progress.
Prior to shooting 76-79 in last week's Shell Houston Open, Weir said, "My power's coming back and things are starting to happen. It's the first time in probably five or six years that I'm excited to get to Augusta and see what I can bring."
Weir, 45, last made the 36-hole cut in a PGA Tour event in November 2014. He took a leave of absence last summer for family-oriented reasons, attending to his two teenage daughters following his divorce. Weir returned to competition in February and has played in four tournaments, using a minor medical extension to gain access.
He expects to play in a few more events after the Masters and is considering some tournaments on the European Tour or the Web.com Tour to augment his schedule. "I'm excited about my game," he said, "so I want to keep playing."
Beginning in 2000, the former BYU golfer made the cut in the Masters in 10 of his first 11 appearances, finishing in the top 30 eight times. In his last five visits, he has made the cut only once, shooting 73-72 in the first two rounds in 2014 and eventually tying for 44th place.
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