Musings: Weekley prevails again at Hilton Head

In contrast with the stately, muted green jacket they present to the winner of the Masters, the champion at the Verizon Heritage gets to don a hideously loud plaid sportcoat. Somehow, self-described redneck Boo Weekley looks more appropriate in plaid.

Weekley adds a refreshing jolt of personality and pizzazz to the well-behaved world of the PGA Tour. And he can play, too. A week after finishing a more-than-respectable 20th at Augusta, Weekley won this weekend’s Verizon Heritage Classic for the second consecutive year, posting an even par final-round 71 to win by three strokes over Anthony Kim and Aaron Baddeley and earn his second plaid jacket. “I can wear one on Saturday, one on Sunday,” he said. Somehow, we believe he’s serious.

There was considerably less drama than last year, when Weekley needed chip-ins on the 71st and 72nd holes to steal the tournament from Ernie Els. Sunday was more like a coronation for golf’s unlikeliest superstar, who became only the third player to go back-to-back at the Verizon Heritage, joining five-time champion Davis Love III (1991-92) and the late Payne Stewart (1989-90). “It was a lot easier than last year, wasn’t it?” he said with a smile.

Maybe, but the final round wasn’t without a few moments of drama. Weekley slammed a pitch into the cup for a birdie at 10, then rammed home a 30-footer at 14 that might have rolled into the water rimming the green if the cup hadn’t interrupted the ball’s progress.

Weekley had to suppress the urge to throw down a unique celebration for the appreciative fans who serenaded him with chants of “Boooo!”

“I wanted to do the moonwalk, the belly-roll,” he said.

We had better enjoy Boo while we can. He’s made it clear that golf is only a temporary gravy train for a guy who would rather be in a duck blind or in a trout stream. “This golf is a crazy game,” he said. “That’s why I only want to do it for so long and then get out of it.” Let’s hope the craziness continues a while longer.

Ochoa Overpowers the LPGA

Has anyone noticed what’s going on over on the LPGA Tour? It’s time to recognize Lorena Ochoa as her tour’s version of Tiger Woods. Given her breathtaking level of dominance, it’s an apt comparison.

Ochoa won this weekend’s Ginn Open, becoming the first woman in 45 years to win four tournaments in four weeks. It was her fifth win in six starts this season. After taking next week off, Ochoa will tee it up in Tulsa in two weeks to try to match the LPGA record of five straight wins in tournaments entered, currently held by Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978).

Ochoa’s scoring average of 67.87 is almost two full shots clear of Sorenstam, her nearest competitor in the category, and stacks up well next to Tiger’s 67.73 this season. She’s already won more than $1.4 million.

“She’s proven that she’s our top player,” admitted Paula Creamer. “She’s set that mark pretty high.

“The biggest thing is her confidence. She goes out there and knows she can do it and knows how to win.”

Ochoa has now won 10 times in her last 15 tournaments, including two majors. Since the beginning of 2007, she’s won 13 tournaments. In case you’re curious, over that same span, Tiger’s been a piker by comparison, winning 10 times on the PGA Tour.

Tom Terrific

Tom Watson won for the 50th time on the PGA and Champions Tours, successfully defending his Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am title with a one-stroke win over Jay Haas and Scott Hoch. The 58-year-old Watson earned his 11th Champions win to go with 39 PGA Tour wins, including five British Open titles.

Sadly, Hoch treated us to a replay of his most famous moment on the PGA Tour — a missed two-footer that would have won the 1989 Masters. Hoch missed a short putt on Sunday that would have forced a playoff, then tossed his putter in a fashion eerily reminiscent of that day in April 19 years ago.

Shark Sighting

Greg Norman is taking time off from golf course design, not to mention his newest passion — tennis, the sport that made his fiancée, Chris Evert, famous — to play a little golf. Norman, who has missed the cut in his only two PGA Tour appearances this season, will compete in next week's Asian Open in Shanghai. “In the last year and a half I have begun to play a great deal more tennis,” he said. “I always have new challenges and I very much enjoy the challenge of learning this sport and improving my game.

“While I am playing less golf, I enjoy the golf I do play. This year I will be playing more events, focusing on the tournaments and the golf courses I enjoy.” Not a bad position to be in, is it?

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