From staff reports
If Boo Weekley is going to win his third consecutive Verizon Heritage title, he'll have to overcome some aches and pains.
"I feel like I slept on a cinder block Sunday night, but it will be all right," Weekley said. "I've been working on getting in, stretching me out. I got it stretched out (Tuesday) and then again this morning I got up and got it stretched out again."
Weekley said he has scoliosis, which causes his back to flare up when he sleeps in an awkward position. The soreness hampered his swing during a practice round Tuesday and early in his pro-am round Wednesday, but he said he started to loosen up a bit on the back nine during the pro-am, in which he shot a 3-under-par 68.
GOOD TO BE HOME
A number of players with South Carolina roots are in this year's field, including former Clemson star Jonathan Byrd, who has rented "a big house" for the week to accommodate a large group of family members who made the trip. Despite the potential for distraction, Byrd said he enjoys playing close to home -- he grew up in South Carolina and lives in Sea Island, Ga. -- and spending the week with friends and family.
"I don't know anybody on tour that doesn't like coming home to play golf in front of their friends, family, people you've seen growing up, high school golf coach, maybe a college golf coach," Byrd said. "I think that's always a fun environment to play in, because you have so much support."
TWO SHOTS AT A MILLION
Not only will PGA Tour players be competing for a winner's share of more than $1 million for the first time in the history of the Heritage, but they'll also be chasing another $1 million prize when they play Harbour Town's signature 18th hole this week.
The picturesque finishing hole is part of the Kodak Challenge, a new contest in which players compete on designated Kodak Challenge holes in 30 different PGA Tour events. Players must play at least 18 of the 30 designated holes to be eligible for the prize, with their lowest score on the hole added to their scorecard. At the end of the contest, the players' best 18 Kodak Challenge holes will make up his score, and the player with the lowest cumulative score relative to par wins $1 million.
Heading into this week, nine players are tied for the lead at 5-under par, and five of them -- Steve Lowery, D.J. Trahan, Michael Letzig, Chris DiMarco and Will MacKenzie -- are in the Heritage field.
WEATHERING THE STORM
While many golfers will spend today finding ways to endure the expected whipping winds during the first round of the Heritage, several golfers used Wednesday to touch on how the PGA Tour is surviving the hard economic times.
Five-time Heritage champion Davis Love III talked at length about how the tour and players are working hand-in-hand to support an industry that depends heavily on sponsors, many of which are banks.
"I've had staff from the tour call me at 7:30, 8 at night," Love said. "Everybody on the tour, the players are working very, very hard. But we are also thankful for what we have ... The people that did come and buy tents and tickets this week, make sure we put on a good show; we sign as many autographs, do as many media requests and take care of the Verizon guys.
"The more the tour is successful and these companies that sponsor the tour are successful," Love continued, "it helps the economy, it doesn't hurt the economy."
In pitches to government and within the media, players often note how much money the tour infuses into the economy of host cities and gives back to charities. For instance, the Heritage reportedly generates $84 million for South Carolina and the Heritage Classic Foundation has given more than $15 million to charitable organizations since its creation.
"We need to get the message out there that these events do more than just pay players to play and corporate entertainments," Love said. "It's a vital part of this ... I mean, every town depends on it."
Comments (0) |
By submitting your comment, you are agreeing to islandpacket.com's user agreement.
@Nyx.CommentBody@