Golf Central

Some things just get lost in translation. Take for example, Boo Weekley and Martin Kaymer squaring off on Wednesday in the first round in Tucson. The 34-year-old Weekley, the hick from Hicksville, hasn't played a lot of match-play golf. While Kaymer, a 23-year-old German, certainly has. On the first hole of their match, Weekley didn't know he was allowed to pick up his ball on the green even though Kaymer was looking at him, clearly expecting Weekley to do so.

"It's very strange. It's just strange to walk up there and just pick up your ball, you know what I mean? Especially when you ain't used to doing it."

Fair enough. Weekley, despite his uncertainty with the format, got past Kaymer - one of the world's best young players - and stuffed Sergio Garcia on Thursday in a bit of a grudge match. We're not sure how far Boo can go ... but you can expect he's got the nuances of the format down by now.

Colin Montgomerie certainly hopes so: The 44-year-old Scot and Ryder Cup stalwart was bemused by Weekley's innocence. As only Monty can do, in his clipped oh-so-proper accent, he said "I think he fell out of a tree," before going on to praise Weekley for the quality of his play. "Boo is a very good golfer and I expect him to be in the Ryder Cup team, I really do. I think it will be interesting," said Monty. For Boo's part, he just said: "I think Monty likes me."

It's worth the price of admission just to hear Monty said the word "Boo" ... but it's also a salivating thought to think of the pair of them locked up in a Ryder Cup duel come September. Too good to be true, perhaps, but you never know ...

Adam Scott is allergic to Americans: So perhaps he should try playing on a different tour than the PGA Tour. In seven trips to the WGC Match Play, Scott has been dispatched by Brad Faxon (2002), Tiger Woods (2003), Davis Love III (2004), David Toms (2005), Tom Lehman (2006), Shaun Micheel (2007) and now Woody Austin. ... So, that old Brit ploy of back-dating people's nationalities is out of the question for the Ryder Cup, then ...

David Toms is a smart cookie: Not only does David Toms have arguably the hottest wife of all Tour players, he also knows when to back down. And do it in style. With a third-round "date" on the cards with Tiger Woods, Toms withdrew from the WGC Match Play before taking on Aaron Baddeley, and he knew the rules. Because it's a match-play event, Toms was able to excuse himself with a bad back as a "concession" rather than a "withdrawal," meaning he'll still get $90,000 plus 262 FedEx Cup points for a lost second-round match.

Sometimes, you've got to say it could only be Boo Weekley. It used to be John Daly - but our man Boo's taking over JD's mantle quite nicely. You would have thought a trip to Kapalua, Hawaii for the PGA Tour's season-opening winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship would be pretty straightforward, not to mention something to look forward to, plan for, heck even dream about.

Not our Boo, who needed the best part of three days to get from his home in little Milton, Florida to Hawaii. Why? Well, Boo was a little absent-minded when he was packing for the trip. Golf clubs? Check. Keys? Check. PGA Tour badge? Check. Bullets in carry-on luggage? Check.

Ooops! That's right, Boo had last used his carry-on bag earlier in the autumn when he went on a hunting trip. Unfortunately for Boo, he left a couple of bullets from his rifle in the bag and didn't spot them when he packed for Kapalua. The scanners at the airport in Pensacola, Florida, however, did.

Said Weekley: "They put red flags on me, I had the cops there. I thought I was going to jail." Fortunately, our homespun hero didn't have his rifle on him as well. After a long delay explaining away the bullets in the bag, Boo travelled on to Atlanta, Georgia, where he missed his connecting flight by minutes, so he had to spend the night there.

Finally, Boo, his wife, son, and his in-laws made to Los Angeles by Saturday morning, but were held up there for nine hours because of more delays. He finally made it to Hawaii in the early morning hours of Sunday. Now that he's actually in Maui, let's hope that Boo can keep his mind on the golf and post a few scores. Then we can actually print that Weekley "fired a round of 65 ..."

His Southern accent will fit right in at Augusta, but Boo Weekley's down-home attitude may still be a bit too different for that tight-collared crew that call themselves the guardians of the Masters.

But ready or not, boys in the green jackets, Boo's coming, on your invitation.

A great 2007 for Boo got even better recently when Weekley received his invitation to the 2008 Masters, making him one of the elite field of 90-95 golfers who will tee it up for the first major of the golf season.

In addition to becoming a beloved cult figure, Weekley had a super season on the course: he won the MCI Heritage in dramatic fashion, ended up 23rd on the PGA Tour money list, and teamed up with his old high-school mate Heath Slocum in representing the United States in the World Cup in China.

Weekley opened some eyes early on the Tour by turning up for practice rounds in camouflage pants, and sometimes wore an undershirt beneath his golf shirt which made him look as if his arms were heavily tattooed.

We think Boo is going to do just fine at Augusta ... and in 2008 as a whole. But leave the tattoo shirt behind at Augusta, Boo - not because of the snobs in charge of running the tournament, but because, let's face it, it's a damn ugly shirt.

Hurry up, I'm off to see Kanye West...: Who the hell is Kanye West? You're always on about all these obscure artists.
Hey, if you don't know who the Trash Can Sinatras or T'Pau are, then it's your own damn fault...: Who the hell is Kanye West!!? If you're skipping the golf to go to a damn show you might as well tell me who the guy is. And I do know the Trash Can Sinatras.
He's a rapper/producer from Atlanta who does "electro-pop infused hip hop". He's won six Grammys, in case you didn't know...: I didn't know and I didn't care. So he's like the Tiger Woods of music then?
Sort of. Why are you so tirelessly obsessed with golf?...: Someone has to be. Want me to tell you what's happening in China then?
OK, if you have to...: OK, well the Americans are holding onto their slim lead over France.
I never knew they needed a lead over France in anything ...: Well they do in the golf. It's set up for a thrilling finish, as the American hillbillies Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum, on 20-under, try to bring it home against the far more cultured Les Bleus, Grégory Havret and Raphaël Jacquelin, who went 10-under 62, and the Scots (Monty and Marc Warren). The English duo of Justin Rose and Ian Poulter are only two back as well.
Sounds like a real clash of cultures...: Kind of like you and Kanye West. Anyway, it all comes down to the alternate shot again in Round 4.
Who's your money on?...: Like it was at the start of the tournament, the Americans.
Is that what you told The Bet Detective?...: Yep.
Did he listen?...: Nope.
You're not being just a little biased there are you?...: No, Boo and Heath have known each other since high school, so if any pair can ham-and-egg it, they can.
Don't you mean jambon et oeufs?...: Showoff. Make sure this Kanye guy gives you a refund for your 30 quid, OK? Or get his autograph and flog it on E-bay ...

So on to today's award with the help of our lovely assistant, Natalie Gulbis. So ... who hit the absolute greatest, gutsiest, have-to-make-it-or-break-it golf shot that we saw on the tours in 2007 ...? (drumroll) ... envelope, please, Natalie ...
Boo Weekley!
Hooray! That's right Natalie, when good-old boy Boo Weekley chipped in twice for par on the last two holes back in April to win the Verizon at Hilton Head, it was amazing. But it was the chip he sank from 36 feet away on the last hole of regulation, which won him his first PGA Title and took the everyman golf-hero mantle from John Daly, that won him this honour.
Way to go Boo!
Boo's acceptance speech was understandably limited: "I reckon my stars lined up in the sky. Golf is just - this is where I work at, you know?"

2007 Rusty Award Winners so far:
Worst Putter: Davis Love III
Best Clutch Shot: Boo Weekley
Silliest Name in Golf: Ben Bunny
Best Career Change: Rick Rhoden
Most Pretentious Broadcaster: Gary Lineker
Best Sand Player: Tim Clark
Coolest Shoes: Hunter Mahan
Marlboro Man Award: Angel Cabrera
Coolest Headwear: Jesper Parnevik
Best Second-Best: Ernie Els
Most Daft Quote: Woody Austin
Worst Dresser (Male): Sergio Garcia

* We would invite all of our winners to our gala Awards Dinner in December, but we fear they might trip on the red carpet or a loose paving stone, or something ...  Our yearly awards are called the "Rusty Awards", instead of "Trusty Awards", because Natalie Gulbis thinks the name of our website is "In Golf Wet Rust". Gulbis is good at golf and glamour, but not so good at grammar.