What to Expect From Boo Weekley in 2009

Boo Weekley is probably best known for imitating Happy Gilmore by riding his driver like a horse off the first tee during his singles match at the 2008 Ryder Cup.  

But, the fact of the matter is that this eccentric man who dresses funny, is more concerned with his next hunting trip than his performance on the golf course, and is, at times, almost impossible to understand through his thick southern drawl just happens to be one of the best ball-strikers in the world. 

For years PGA Tour professionals have been astonished by just how pure this slightly overweight man, who looks as if he is about to set out on a hunting trip rather than walk the fairways of Augusta National, hits the golf ball.

Weekley joined the PGA Tour in 2002 and has just two wins in the past seven seasons, both of which came at the Verizon Heritage Classic in 2007 and 2008. 

So far Weekley has been unable to take his game to that next level and become a legitimate contender at the majors.  However, over the past two years, Weekley has displayed two qualities that suggest he might just be on the brink of taking that next step.

First, seen as clear as day in the Ryder Cup, pressure is not something that really affects Boo Weekley. 

Weekley is the epitome of a laid back southerner who, when he wasn’t getting the fans riled up into a near frenzy at Valhalla Golf Club, appeared as if he were just out for a late afternoon stroll with his good buddy J.B. Holmes during the 2008 Ryder Cup two-ball and foursome matches.

Weekley is an avid hunter and fisherman whose life does not revolve solely around the game of golf, which could prove to be a good thing in terms of handling the pressure, but a bad thing in terms of how much effort he puts into improving his game during the offseason.

Second, Weekly has faired pretty well in the majors over the past two years.

In 2007, Weekley finished 26th at the US Open, 35th at the British Open, and ninth at the PGA Championship, which was pretty solid for the fact that these were Weekley’s first major appearances.

In 2008, Weekley finished 20th at the Masters, 26th at the US Open, missed the cut at the British Open, and then finished in a tie for 20th at the PGA Championship, which was, again, a very respectable performance on golf’s main stage.

In 2008, Weekley also finished in a tie for 21st at the Players Championship, which is regarded by many as golf’s fifth major. 

The one aspect of Weekley’s game that has thus far held him back is a tale as old as time in golf: “an excellent ball striker, but a terrible putter.”

A similar problem has been the one factor that has held back countless professional golfers throughout the game’s history.

In 2008, Weekley averaged 1.8 putts per hole, which ranked 188th on the PGA Tour.

The fact that Weekley putted that horrendously in 2008 and still managed to win an event, finish strongly in three out of the four majors as well as the Player Championship, and end the year ranked 25th on the tour’s money list is a testament to just how good of a ball striker Weekley really is.

It has been said of countless golfers before and will undoubtedly be said many times again, if he can improve upon his putting, he might have a chance to win a major. 

The issue with Boo Weekley is that he might not have the drive to put in the long hours needed to improve his putting game. 

Believe it or not, there are some people, including some members of the PGA Tour such as Boo Weekley, who don’t see golf as the most important thing in the world. 

At 35-years-old and seemingly content with his lifestyle, Weekley does not appear to have that same intense drive seen in players such as Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, or Tiger Woods. 

However, Weekley’s performance over the past two years might have awoken him to the fact that an improvement in his putting could really take his game to that next level and allow him to be a legitimate contender at the majors.

Weekley will begin his 2009 season next week with the rest of the 2008 PGA Tour winners at the Mercedes Benz Championship in Hawaii where we will get our first indication as to whether or not this highly talented ball striker has improved upon his putting during the offseason.