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The Waterloo Junior Tigers were down two games to one in the best-of-five Inter-County baseball finals against Guelph last week before they won Game 4, " Sunday night Lee Wit mer went nine strong innings for the Tigers giving up only four runs while striking out five. Chris Dietrich and Pat Kropf carded the big sticks for the Jr. Tabbies each driving in two runs. In Game 3, Joe Laderoute, pictured pitching above, kept his team in the game until Guelph's Frankie Hare hit a two-out single in the ninth for Goelph's 3-2 win. Game 5 of the series was slated for last night in Waterloo's Bechtel Park depending on the availability of lighting due to the fallout from the province-wide blackout last Thursday. Mike Weir watch will continue at 99th Canadian Open Weir Watch means following closely -- and rooting faithfully - for the biggest name in Canadian golf right now, Sarnia native Mike Weir. or unlike thousands of Nome-r Canadians, I'm on a Weir Watch when ll comes to the world of professional golf, Therefore. I diligently followed the progress of the 33-year-old lefthander through four days of the us. PGA championship tour- namem last week at the Oak Hill Gold Club in Rochester. NY. And when he headed into the fmal round Sunday afternoon just a few shots off the lead, I had visions of Mike making a final-day charge -- as has been his custom this season __ en route to winning his second major championship of the 2003 PGA campaign Waiting for his mid-afternoon went? at the historic Donald Ross designed course, which I had first "amped around as a Niagara Falls Iti'iht2aiiii' Auto Bod 1lRNW, Complete Co|lision and Refinishing Service Q30 Albert Street Waienoo 88 Junior Tigers take it the distapce newspaper golf writer a mere 35 years earlier, I had visions of Mike adding the PGA crown to his stun- ning Masters championship. Even the king of pro golf, Eldrick "Tiger" Woods, had sur gested if Weir won the PGA title. he'd be a lock to win PGA Player of the Year honours, something that Woods has had a lock on in recent times. Well. it didn't take long for our Canadian hopes to be dashed, thrashed, trashed and mashed - pick your own favourite descrip- tion - as Weir launched his clos- ing round with five straight hogeys. As we say in the golf wodd he shot himself out of contention, His final round of 74 left him in a share of seventh, but he never seriously threatened to win the event after his uncharacteristicaily errant driving. A few yeafs hack Mike had gone into the final round of the PGA championship paired with eventul SPORTS al winner Woods and closed with a horrendous 80. However, he was very much upbeat about that time and felt he had learned from the experience. When he rallied in the Masters and two other wins in the final round earlier this season, his actions indicated he had in fact learned how to handle final-day MID - ”0'0 ”RDNHIH Watedoo Siskins are I looking to reacquaint local hockey fans with their hometown team with a good old-fashioned freebie. Siskins invite the fans back to 'Your town, Your team' So anyone who wants to see the revamped club, cele- brating its 70th season. can attend the Siskins opening game against the defending Midwestern Junior B league champs, the Stratford Culli, tons, for free. It's just one of the major promotions planned for Sept. " as the Siskins try to recon- nect with the community. The OHA's Junior B team of the last century. with ll championships. the Siskins used to be the biggest draw in town, but that was when Waterloo was a city of 60.011) Now pushing more than 100,000 people. there's a whole generation of families and fans that the club has failed to make inroads with. That'll change this Sep- tember, said Robert Hennig. the Siskins new vice-presi- dent of business operations. The marketing maverick, who spearheaded the restructuring of the club under a plan called Sudden By Ron Vmwuc - @wniileémj, pressure. Alas, it was not to be on Sunday I'm certain all Canadians were disappointed or dejected by Mike's poor finish but the beauty of sports in general. and golf in par- ticular, is simply this: It's just a game, Nobody died on the table undergoing brain surgery. As I watched Mike fade from the scene Sunday. I thought about sports pressure, including what Weir will'face early next month when he teed it up as a bona fide superstar in the 99th Canadian Open at the historic Hamilton Golf Club in Ancaster, a suburb of the Steel city. Pressure for Mike to perform well in US. or worldwide events won't even come close to what Canadians will expect in the Bell Canadian Open when the shots really start counting on Sept. 7. We may have iioministed the game of hockey for years, but the last time a Canadian won our Change, is now trying to make the club synonymous with the city. In addition to a new logo that was unveiled in May the Siskins now have a new mono as well -- "Your town Your team." And the dub is opening its doors to the public Sept. 14 with the hopes of making all Sunday home games pan of a new tradition called Siskin Sunday To launch that new brand- Childmn will be able to get ingthe%hinswillaisooffera tattoos featuring the new free public skate from 4-5 Siskin logo, and face-painting pm. at the WUtedoo Memori- Continued on [use 3 Waterloo Siskins Jr 'B' Hockey Club FGirGv%ihrrtoo.com And no, I did not caddy for the winner. Pat Fletcher. back then although I would wear a lot of Fletcher golf shirts in later years. national pro golf championship was 1954 in Vancouver, The next year -- 195S-- a brash young guy by the name of Arnold Palmer would win his first, and only, Canadian crown in what was his first pro victory Since then, such Canadian golf heroes as Al Balding, the late George Knudsen. Dave Barr and Jim Nelfotd have tried to nd that long drought with no sung. Can 2003 be different? Only time will fell but remember this: We never had a Canadian holding one of golf's "maior" titles before this year, so why not add the Bell Open to the resume Mike? Bill "Skip" Johns has been writ- ing about golffor more than four um. He can be reached at skip- schipsOgoldm.net. CLICK HERE him In t W hunt-d a, Volswogcl Wand” al Recreation Complex as part of their opening game day celebrations. There will also be a barbe- cue and pizza tailgate party starting at 4 pm. featuring the unveiling of the Siskins new mascot - kaptain Kaplain Krunch. who's we! identity is being closely guarded by the club, will be just some of the entertain- ment for the whole family.