Lateral Hazard: Boo Weekley keeps it simple, returns to winner's circle ... five years later

Lateral Hazard: Boo Weekley keeps it simple, returns to winner's circle ... five years later











Brian Murphy May 27, 2013 1:26 AMYahoo Sports




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Boo Weekley celebrates after being presented the champion's blazer for winning the Colonial on Sunday. (AP)
Ladies and gentlemen, the golf fans at Colonial Country Club aren't booing. They're chanting "BOOOOOO … "



Wait. When is a "BOO" not a "BOO!"?

This could get confusing and existential. And with that multi-syllabic word, we have officially lost the interest of the happily simple Boo Weekley, the winner at Colonial this week with a scintillating Sunday 66.

Boo doesn't do existential. He does fishin' and huntin' and, for a day job, golfin'. He used to do it so well he earned a spot on the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team, where he was part of the rarest of Ryder Cup birds: an American win. That was so long ago, many of you probably forget that Boo teed off for his Sunday singles match against Europe's Oliver Wilson and promptly departed the tee box "Happy Gilmore" style, riding his driver like a bronco. That produced two things: One, enough momentum and energy to spur a 4-up Weekley win; and two, the sight of Weekley's white crew socks set off against his dark, team-issue slacks.



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Boo Weekley waves his cap after sinking a putt on the 18th hole to win the Colonial. (AP)



Nobody ever confused Boo Weekley of Milton, Fla. with Mister Blackwell. That's the beauty of Boo.

It's been so long since Weekley won a PGA Tour event – the 2008 Heritage at Harbour Town was his last – that when he did, Tiger Woods was still married to Elin Nordegren and winning majors; and Sergio Garcia was only a whining underachiever.

Now, five years later, Tiger is divorced and dating Lindsey Vonn, and looking for his first major in half-a-decade. Meanwhile, Sergio has graduated from whining underachiever to whining underachiever who will coarsely drop racist remarks.

Talk about "BOO!" No, Sergio, I'm not cheering for Boo Weekley. I'm booing your sorry and tired act.

The 'Week of Sergio' – and his Sancho Panza, moronic European Tour executive director George O'Grady– made us crave a positive story in golf that could take our mind off 'El Nino' becoming 'El Idiot-o'.

Boo provided it, with a story of perseverance. Since his Ryder Cup triumph and two wins at Harbour Town in '07 and '08, he lost his swing, injured his shoulder and slumped mightily. Golf can be fickle and fleeting that way. It'd be easy to imagine we'd heard the last of Boo Weekley on a leaderboard. Turning 40 this July, he appeared to be yesterday's news in a world where 20-somethings like Russell Henley and John Merrick and Billy Horschel were winning golf tournaments.

In fact, it'd been 124 starts since Boo last won. But still, there were stirrings from the paunchy, bearded, drawlin' Weekley. His shoulder healed. He tinkered with his swing and putting stroke. Mostly, he didn't succumb to the temptation of his fishing pole, and kept playing – Colonial was his sixth consecutive start and he'd made 12 of 14 cuts this year, including three top-10s.

At Colonial, he drove it long (298 yards average, 17th in the field), drove it straight (71 percent of fairways, 6th in the field) and pounded greens like Boo does (75 percent clip, 5th in the field). Weekley is 7th on Tour in greens in regulation.



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Boo Weekley, left, hugs his caddie, Barry Williams. (AP)



And then most important, he had a 'moment': his 22-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole kept Matt Kuchar at bay and provided him with a fist-bumping surge of adrenaline with his caddie, Barry Williams. And speaking of Williams, how about his role? Weekley developed twitches in his eye at Colonial that rendered his green-reading skills moot. He had to call over Williams on nearly every hole for a read. The twitch may have been nervous energy, and it's hard to imagine laid-back Boo consumed by nerves, but hey – even self-proclaimed rednecks want to win, badly, too. Yes, Boo has called himself a 'redneck' in the past. Why wouldn't he?

In fact, it's sort of funny that Weekley won on the same day Japan's Kohki Idoki won the Senior PGA Championship, on his first-ever trip to the United States. So, for the two guys who won big on Sunday, speaking the King's English doesn't come natural.

What does come natural for Boo is plaid. By winning at Colonial, he won a tartan plaid jacket, just like the two he won at Harbour Town. That's three wins, three plaid jackets. If the Police sang about the 'King of Pain', maybe somebody should sing about the 'King of Plaid'. Just make sure it's a bluegrass tune, so Boo'll like it.

SCORECARD OF THE WEEK

74-75—Missed Cut – Rory McIlroy, European Tour BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth Club, Surrey, England.

What in the name of awful golf is going on with everybody's favorite former No. 1 player in the world?

And yet, here's Rory at it again, tweeting out happy congratulations to the winner, 20-year-old Matteo Manassero.





Massive congrats to @manasseromatteo!! Makes me feel like an old man! #phenom— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) May 26, 2013



I could do with a few less exclamation points from Rory and a few more wins.

Don't forget, he'd tweeted out on the eve of Wentworth that he was "Excited to get started! Game is feeling good." If 74-75-MC is "feeling good", I don't want to see "feeling bad".

And on May 12, when Tiger Woods won the Players Championship, Rory took time from his busy day to tweet out: "Congrats @TigerWoods! #goat"

Again, always making sure to stroke his competition. I mean, I'm assuming #goat refers to Rory's too-easily-given take that Tiger is the 'Greatest of All Time' and not a reference to a local elementary school putting on 'The Three Billy Goats' Gruff' for Parents Night.

So, here we go again with young Rors. He's entered in the Memorial this week, and Tiger will be there, along with Masters champ Adam Scott and a tremendous field. And here we go again with what I'm sure will be Rory's Defenders, pointing out he's a streaky winner who still can rip off two or three 'Ws' by autumn, and who has four top-10s in eight starts on the PGA Tour this year.

I'm just wondering when the guy Nike paid hundreds of millions will be interested in dreaming of the hashtag '#goat' being applied to his game, instead of him willingly applying it to others.

BROADCAST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

"My answer was totally stupid and out of place, and I can't say sorry enough about that . . . I feel sick about it." – Sergio Garcia, The Golf Channel, from Wentworth in his apology to Tiger Woods for saying he'd "serve fried chicken" to Tiger for dinner.

On the one hand, an apology is an apology, and even Tiger tweeted out he's ready to "move on." On the other hand, there are times when apologies aren't enough, when you see incredibly lame behavior and have no interest in accepting apologies.

Between Fuzzy Zoeller in 1997, and Steve Williams wanting to "shove it up Tiger's black arse" and now Sergio saying he'll serve stereotypical fare if he has Tiger over for dinner, what kind of message does golf send when its guard is down? When Fuzzy has a couple of drinks, and 'Stevie' thinks he's off the record and Sergio is all rattled because he dumped two balls into the drink at Sawgrass and cried about being the 'victim'?



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Sergio Garcia of Spain acknowledges applause during the BMW PGA Championship. (Getty)



I think we know the answer, and it's ugly.

And while we're on the topic, who asked Colin Montgomerie to chime in and tell us all we're making a "mountain out of a molehill"? Apparently, poor 'Monty' was upset and hoping the Sergio firestorm wouldn't detract from Wentworth, which he said was a 'fantastic' tournament.

Oh. So sorry to have bothered you, Monty. I know it's a huge hassle for you, and it's so important you have your boy Sergio's back, but maybe we can take a moment away from your treasured BMW PGA to wish for a world where a guy of mixed race isn't taunted because he's not white.

"We're all frightened to say anything," whined Monty. "We're all frightened to say something that isn't kosher in 2013."

Or, an alternate view: We're all hoping we don't look the other way or make excuses for people who try to insult and demean a person because he isn't Caucasian.

Forgive me, Colin, for crossing the street to avoid being dragged down into the gutter of denial in which your comments dwell.

MULLIGAN OF THE WEEK

Given how good of a story Boo Weekley is, not many outside of Scott Stallings' family were rooting for him to win at Colonial. But still, not many wanted to see what happened to Stallings at the 15th hole.

Nursing a two-shot lead and a chance at his third career PGA Tour win, Stallings had a little chip shot from off the green, his third shot on the par-4 hole. Except … he took a page right out of every 20-handicapper's book, and decelerated on the chip. Nightmare.

The club hit more turf than ball, and what little of the ball the club got, only sent it fluttering into a bunker one foot in front of him.

You could almost see Stallings' heart beating out of embarrassment and rage when he quickly took his stance in the bunker and . . . did the exact same thing, leaving his fourth in the sand. His fifth barely made it out, and his double bogey '6' allowed Weekley to take over the lead en route to victory.

Stallings would finish tie-4th, three shots back of Weekley. He still shot 66, but that would qualify as a bitter 66, if ever there is such a thing.

So, in the interest of a little 72nd hole drama, maybe even a playoff, or just to be humane, how about we go back out to the 15th green, remind Stallings he's not a 20-handicapper, that he chips shots like that close for a living, because he's a golf pro, and … give that man a mulligan!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Tiger is coming back, and he has to be ticked. Not only has Sergio awakened what is probably a lifelong grudge in Tiger against the racist knuckleheads who always looked at him differently, Tiger's also arriving at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial with every armchair rules official hot to analyze his every drop, cell phone at the ready to call in and bust the guy who has won four times in six stroke play events this year.



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Sergio Garcia, left, and Tiger Woods talk in a 2002 file photo. (AP)



Combine that surely simmering rage in Tiger, and his incredible game right now, and the fact that he wins at Muirfield Village when he rolls out of bed (five wins, and two in the last four years) and you have a dude in a red shirt on Sunday ready to go Ferrigno on the field.

Adam Scott will be there, and so will 17 of the top 25 world-ranked players. Like that matters to Tiger right now. I'd mention that Rory is entered, but he's no factor.

Sorry to see no Sergio Garcia at the Memorial. I'd love to see him wilt on American soil in his first post-fried chicken tournament. Guess we'll have to wait for Merion's U.S. Open in two weeks to see that comical disaster.

Coston and Mielke end week sharing honors

Coston and Mielke end week sharing honors











PGA.COM May 27, 2013 1:52 AM

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PGA of America President Ted Bishop (c) presented Jeff Coston (l) and Mark Mielke with their crystal …


By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

TOWN & COUNTRY, Mo. - Mark Mielke of East Norwich, N.Y., deflected a near-disastrous trip around Bellerive Country Club Sunday with three back-nine birdies, including a five-footer on the 72nd hole, to clinch a share of Low PGA Club Professional honors in the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.

[Video: Click here to see the trophy presentation for Coston and Mielke.]

Mielke and Jeff Coston of Blaine, Wash., became the first dual Low PGA Club Professional honorees since the Senior PGA Championship began recognizing the feat with a crystal bowl in 2005.

Mielke, the 50-year-old PGA head professional at Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, N.Y., made his first appearance in the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. He finished with a 1-over-par 73 and even-par 284 total to tie Coston, who struggled with four back-nine bogeys for a closing 72. They tied for 28th place, tops among a 42-player PGA club professional delegation in the Championship.

Don Berry of Rogers, Minn., rallied with a 71 and Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Ga., finished with a 74 to each finish at 285, while Bob Gaus of St. Louis, who had a 73 and 290 total, rounded out the five PGA club professionals who made the weekend.

"It's awesome, it really is," said Mielke. "Just to make the cut here and be here on the weekend was an incredible experience. Let alone to birdie 18 was just awesome!"

Mielke overcame a triple-bogey 7 on the 10th hole - a hole where he was 6 over par for the week - by, making birdies on Nos. 11, 14 and 18. Mielke said that he knew he had a chance for the Low PGA Club Professional by a communication channel between his wife, Leigh and his caddie, former PGA apprentice professional Will Thursby.

"I had a bad experience on 10 with a triple there. That kind of took me out of it. I just said, 'Keep hanging in, and try to make a birdie or two," Mielke added. "I knew I had to birdie 18 for the tie. I hit a great shot in there to about six feet and I don't remember hitting the putt. I just knew that I had to make it."


Thursby appeared as proud as the man who hired him for hauling his clubs around Bellerive.

"The man has got as much courage for a golfer as I could imagine," said Thursby of Mineola, N.Y. "After making a 7 on No. 10, a hole that has beaten us up all week, he held it together and we made some birdies coming in and here we are."

It was a bittersweet ending for Coston, 57, the PGA teaching professional at Semiahmoo Golf Resort. He was sailing along at 3 under par on the front side, and then struggled home. He bogeyed 13, 15, 17 and three-putted 18. It left him with his second Low PGA Club Professional honor since 2007.

"I was riding the wave there, man, like Switchfoot for a while," said Coston. "And that was good fun. And golf is weird. And weird people play it and I'm glad I'm one of them. But some things happened and boom! It can happen to anybody. At least that's what they tell me."

Mielke's playing partner, Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Ga., made his bid for the honorary crystal before bogeys at 13, 14 and 16 derailed his chances. He birdied 17 to get within one stroke of Mielke and Coston. Skinner nearly holed his greenside bunker shot on 18 for a birdie.

"I really didn't have it today," said Skinner, the reigning Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year. "I hit the ball decent early, couldn't make a putt. I kept trying to scramble, but then began three-putting. I finished nicely after hitting a terrible tee shot on 17 to make birdie. I played 18 pretty good, but not good enough. The guys that tied today (Coston and Mielke) are extremely good friends of mine and I'm happy for them."

Berry, the PGA head professional at Edinburgh USA Golf Club in Brooklyn Park, Minn., came away from his debut with special memories.

"I kind of struggled with the putter, but I have nothing but good feelings about the day," said Berry. "It is just a great golf course and getting a chance to play with all these great players. Shoot, on Monday I came out and played a practice round with Tom Kite and Andy North. I never played with two U.S. Open Champions before. So, just seeing these guys and watching them - how they play and stuff - that was really fun for me."

For Bob Gaus, a PGA teaching professional at Tower Tee Golf Center in St. Louis, his debut in the Championship was a positive experience regardless of his final score.

"I can take away the fact that I can compete out here probably in some way or another," said Gaus. I know that I can compete with them. It's getting the experience. I felt more and more comfortable every day that I was out here. I missed a couple short putts. I got a little nervous, but who doesn't?"

Course Source: River Course at the Alisal, Circling Raven Golf Club

Course Source: River Course at the Alisal, Circling Raven Golf Club










Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange May 27, 2013 2:10 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: River Course at the Alisal in Solvang, Calif.

THE LAYOUT: Created by Halsey Design Group of Bonsall, Calif., and opened in 1992, the River Course runs alongside the Santa Ynez River with scenic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains on California's Central Coast.

The course plays to a par of 72 at 6,930 yards from the back tees, with a USGA rating of 73.1 and a slope of 126.

John Pate, the 1999 Southern California Amateur champion whose brother Steve played on the PGA Tour, set the course record of 66, which was tied by Chad Wright, who played at USC and on the Canadian PGA Tour.

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Robert Scarpati.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Although the River Course is less than a mile from its sister course, the resort Ranch Course at the Alisal, they are located in two entirely different settings.

The River Course plays through a wide valley and has a feeling of openness on most holes. Since it is newer, the trees have not matured, but even when they do, it will never look like the more traditional Ranch Course, which is located in a woodsy area.

The most dramatic and difficult hole on the River Course is the 438-yard, par-4 seventh, which has trouble everywhere you look. Hit a big slice off the tee and your ball can wind up in a vineyard of Mission Meadow Winery, which runs the length of the hole. Hit a hook and your tee shot might wind up at the bottom of the lake that runs all the way up to the green.

The front nine finishes with a scenic par 3, 172 yards down the hill into the prevailing wind across Alamo Pintado Creek, which crosses the course in several spots.

The back nine opens with the No. 2 handicap hole, a 430-yard par 4, but it plays downwind on the tee shot through a chute of trees. Another stand of trees runs down the left side of the fairway, and a gaping bunker guards the right side of the green.

The last four holes cover a plateau below the clubhouse. The 123-yard 17th looks simple enough but is almost surrounded by water and sand, although the most challenging of the final four is No. 15, which plays uphill across the creek and often into the wind.

The golf scenes in the movie "Sideways," starring Paul Giamatti, were filmed on the River Course.

OTHERS COURSES IN THE AREA: La Purisima Golf Course a few miles down the road in Lompoc, is one of the best public courses in California, having played host to the PGA Tour Qualifying School and U.S. Open qualifying.

Also nearby are several other outstanding courses -- Blacklake Golf Resort in Nipomo, Avila Beach Golf Club, Marshallia Ranch Golf Course at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cypress Ridge Golf Club in Arroyo Grande and Rancho Maria Golf Course in Orcutt.

Only 40 minutes south are several more top-shelf courses in Santa Barbara, including acclaimed Sandpiper Golf Course (called "the Pebble Beach of Southern California"), Rancho San Marcos Golf Club, Glen Annie Golf Club and Santa Barbara Golf Club.

WHERE TO STAY: The 10,000-acre Alisal Guest Ranch and Golf Resort offers tennis, horseback riding, biking, swimming and hiking, plus boating and fishing on Alisal Lake.

The Ranch Course can be played only by club members and guests at the Alisal Guest Ranch, which was founded in 1946 and became a hideaway for Hollywood icons such as Doris Day and Clark Gable, who married Lady Silvia Ashley in the old library on the grounds. There are nature walks and bird-watching on the property, which borders Ronald Reagan's Rancho del Cielo that served as the Western White House during Reagan's presidency.

Solvang, an authentic Scandinavian village founded by Danish settlers in 1911, is one of the top tourist sites in California. Of course, the Spanish padres arrived much earlier, in 1804, and founded Mission Santa Ines on the edge of town.

Solvang features several themed hotels, including the Royal Scandinavian Inn, the Best Western King Frederik Motel, the Kronborg Inn and Svendsgaard's Danish Lodge.

Also close is the Best Western Pea Soup Andersen's Motel in Buellton.

ON THE WEB: www.rivercourse.com



THE LAST RESORT: Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho.

THE LAYOUT: For destination golfers, the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course deserves its lofty praise; the well-manicured course is picturesque, has a famous floating green and all the amenities one could ask for, from pre-round massages to world-class food.

But ask avid Northwest golfers for their favorite course on the east side of the Cascades, and they are likely to point you 40 minutes south to the small town of Worley, Idaho. Tucked a short drive away from the Washington border sits Circling Raven, the gem of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe that operates the casino and hotel next door.


Designed by Gene Bates, Circling Raven winds through 620 acres next to the Coeur d'Alene National Forest. The par 72 course is 7,189 yards from the tips, and heed the advice of the starter to play from the blues (6,589) or whites (6,108) unless you're an accurate bomber who has played the course before.

There are five tee boxes in all, and a true test of golf awaits from each.

Circling Raven weaves along its expansive property with significant elevation changes and a well-thought-out design on every hole. No two shots feel the same, but a good score can certainly be had with fairly wide fairways on most holes and receptive greens that roll true and fast.

There is a distinct feel of Bandon Dunes-style golf. You won't find much trouble unless you're wayward off the tee, and most of the score-busting comes in the form of plentiful bunkers and errant shots snagged by the wetlands and grasslands.

When Golf Digest re-ranked it biennial list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses to factor in greens fees in 2009, Circling Raven ($65-95) was ranked No. 19.

Golfweek ranked Circling Raven No. 89 among its top 100 resort courses in October 2012, and Golf.com ranks it No. 90 among the best public golf courses in the United States.

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Tom B. Davidson.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Tony the starter is chock full of information, and soak it all in while you can because Circling Raven's undulations, bunkers and waste areas aren't all easily viewable for first-time visitors to steer clear of. Once you're out on the course, the state-of-the-art golf carts provide GPS guidance and hole-by-hole overviews.

Consider your clubs selections very carefully. The elevation changes -- particularly on several of the par 3s, can turn a good swing into a sideways bunker lie in the blink of a 6-iron when a 7-iron would have done the job.

The 18-hole journey begins with the No. 7 handicap on the course, a 513-yard par 5 with a hard dogleg left. A well-placed drive -- Tony will caution you about anything left -- makes this a reasonable opening birdie look on a green that slopes right to left.

From there, you're through the tunnel under the railroad tracks and to a 395-yard par 4 that plays uphill and has a dogleg to the right. One of the prettiest views of the course awaits at the par-3 third, which plays 217 yards, with a two-club drop down the valley and a green that is well-protected by big, deep bunkers you want no part of.

If you appreciate scenery and not ducking shots from other holes, Circling Raven has more than eight miles of cart paths. Enjoy the wide swaths of blue grass as you approach No. 4 -- the hardest hole on the course at 406 yards from the gold tees.

The front nine also features the short eighth, 386 yards down the hill, but with danger to the right and a green again protected by bunkers. It's drivable, depending on the tee box you choose.

The trek back to the clubhouse on the outward half closes with the 474-yard ninth, which requires a big drive that avoids the wetlands down the left side.

The back nine begins with a fun carry off the tee at the 336-yard 10th, where it's wise to play to a full club and not leave yourself an awkward approach if you're not able to drive the green.

Bates' unique vision for each hole continues on the 11th, a winding uphill par-4 that showcases the bluegrass and huge space that Circling Raven takes advantage of.

If you play the tips, the 253-yard 13th with a forced carry of the wetlands is a monster. Heck, at 218 from the blues it's no picnic.

When you reach No. 15, trees greet you on all sides for a downhill 426-yard par-4 that includes another dogleg.

The 18th plays alongside the road, where white stakes definitely come into play and can snag a solid back nine score right out of your hands. And don't get overaggressive with the approach shot -- anything long or right will be stolen by the wetlands.

OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: The Coeur d'Alene Resort Course really should be on any golfer's bucket list, but it will run you between $150-$250 depending on the time of year, so check for good specials on twilight and replay rates.

A favorite of the locals, and where many of the employees of the resort frequent, is Avondale Golf Club about seven miles away in Hayden.

A 6,573-yard course that weaves among the trees, Avondale has a fun layout with water coming into play on several holes. Bring your straight driver, however, as the course is littered with white stakes that can balloon scores quickly.

Worley is less than an hour from Spokane, Wash., which has five fun courses that you wouldn't expect to see from a city-run operation. Each is unique and well worth the $30-35 greens fees.

Palouse Ridge on the Washington State campus in Pullman and the University of Idaho course are also local favorites.

WHERE TO STAY: The Coeur d'Alene casino has more than 300 rooms and gaming that includes slot machines, high-stakes bingo, off-track betting, table games and entertainment. Call well ahead of time, however, as events like the Ironman triathlon sell the hotel out quickly.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort also can book up quickly and is very pricey. For more reasonable accommodations, head to Spokane. You can drive from Spokane to Worley, up to Coeur d'Alene and back for 36 holes in a well-traveled day. We'd advise staying in Spokane and replaying Circling Raven if you can't stay at the casino.

On the web: www.circlingraven.com



--Circling Raven review by Derek Harper, The Sports Xchange