Weir wins $270,000 in Telus Skins

(June 22, 2010) Victoria, British Columbia - Mike Weir has won $270,000 in the Telus Skins Game on Tuesday at the Bear Mountain Resort.

Weir's win came down to a 125-yard pitch-off on the final hole after the five professional golfers went skinless over nine holes. The prize money grew to include 12 skins, nine Tuesday and three left over from Monday's nine holes.

Englishman Ian Poulter won one skin and $15,000 Monday, but failed to win a skin Tuesday.

Colombian Camilo Villegas and crowd favorite Fred Couples of the United States were skinless over the two days.

Weir narrowly missed winning a $245,000 skin on the par-4 17th, but his putt hit the edge of the hole and lipped out. Weir said he didn't know he won the pitch-off until a tournament official said his shot was about 1 1/2 feet ahead of the next closest by Villegas.

Weir said he plans to take some time off before playing in the British Open next month at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Courtesy of the AP

More about Bear Mountain Resort

Bear Mountain Resort's Mountain Course was co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son Steve. In June of 2009, the new Nicklaus Design Valley Course opened, adding another 18 holes to the existing Mountain Course. The addition gives Bear Mountain the distinction of being the only resort in Canada with 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf.

More about the Skins Game

The two-day event was held on June 21 and 22, 2010 and featured top names in international golf, each representing a different country. The intimate, relaxed setting of the Skins Game format allows players to engage with the cameras and the crowds as they compete against each other for pride, prize money and the event's designated charity.

The TELUS World Skins Game, an event owned and operated by IMG in Canada for 18 years, has included many of the biggest names in the game including Jack Nicklaus, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Greg Norman.

The TELUS World Skins Game is always a highlight of the Canadian summer sporting schedule for the country's most passionate golf fans, as well as the community that hosts it. Fulfilling its promise to 'give where we live', TELUS partners with local charitable organizations to make a difference as the event travels from coast-to-coast. Funds are generated through the 'Charity on the Course' program which includes donations made for every birdie and eagle played by the professional golfers during the two days of competition, as well as an online charity auction through eBay.

This summer's game will improve the quality of life for Vancouver Island's sick kids and their families for years to come as the money raised during the event will benefit the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children in support of Jeneece Place, a home-away-from-home to be located near the Victoria General Hospital.

TELUS, the Jeneece Place Foundation, the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children and their partners have already raised more than $400,000 for this important project, jump-starting the planning and architecture work. The Jeneece Place Foundation is close to finalizing the site for the facility. In July of last year, Darren Entwistle announced TELUS would also contribute $100 to the creation of Jeneece Place for every new TELUS TV customer on Vancouver Island. TELUS' long-standing commitment to local charities such as Jeneece Place recently won international recognition when the Association for Fundraising Professionals named TELUS the world's top philanthropic corporation for 2010.