Wednesday, April 15, 2009

It's Boo talking about bugs

Taking a mid-week tour around the Back Nine, Harbour Town style:

1. AND YOU SMELL FRESH, TOO

There is one thing wrong with the Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town – the no see ‘ums.

They’re little biting bugs that can make life miserable for players and spectators if the wind isn’t blowing. By the time you know they’re on you, they’re biting you, leaving an itchy red bump that can leave your arms looking like you have the measles.

There are various ideas of how to keep them away. A coating of Avon’s Skin So Soft lotion is among the most popular.

Boo Weekley, who spends days in the woods hunting, hates the little buggers. Recently, he learned that using Listerine on your exposed skin keeps them away.

“Listerine, yes siree,” Weekley said Wednesday. “A pro (at Sea Island) told us that. He said just take a little napkin, pour a little Listerine on it and pat yourself down where your skin is showing…pat it around the side of your ears and everywhere and you should be fine.

“Good thing if you’ve got bad breath. You can lick your skin. Lick it off.”

Weekley said he tried the theory recently when he took some mouthwash from a locker room and patted it on himself. He said it worked for a little while but then seemed to attract the bugs.

“We asked the pro, ‘What’s up with that?’” Weekley said. “(He said), ‘That’s Scope, that ain’t Listerine.’ Why would you put Scope in there if Listerine works?”

Leave it to Boo to ask the right question.

2. EXPLAINING HARBOUR TOWN

Perhaps more than most PGA Tour courses, Harbour Town seems to play favorites.

Davis Love III has won V times. Hale Irwin won three times. Double winners include Hubert Green, Tom Watson, the late Payne Stewart, Boo Weekley and Stewart Cink.

It’s not an issue of power. It’s a question of position off the tee and into greens. With putting surfaces the size of bedrooms, there’s not much wiggle room at Harbour Town.

That’s why it’s not for everyone.

“This course…puts people into two camps psychologically,” Cink said. “You either get into the camp where you feel like you’re in jail because of the trees and how close everything is or you feel like your goal is well defined by a smaller target.

“I know one of my friends doesn’t play here because he feels like his good shots end up behind trees too often and it psyches him out. That kind of thing is part of the challenge of this golf course.”

3. SO MUCH FOR THE TREADMILL

For all the chatter about how important working out is for professional golfers these days, the three guys in the Masters playoff – Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell – aren’t exactly kings of the gym.

“I can’t really say I’m working out or anything,” Perry said at Augusta, adding that his approach works for him.

Campbell will never be confused with Camilo Villegas nor will Cabrera.

According to Sports Illustrated this week, Cabrera ordered off the menu at the annual Sunday night champions reception with Augusta National members. Cabrera ordered the Tiger Woods cheeseburger on the club menu – and liked them enough that he ate nine of them. Reportedly they’re not full-sized burgers but still…

4. GOING, GOING…

Tickets for Saturday’s third round at the Quail Hollow Championship are expected to sell out soon so if you’re planning on going, you’d better act fast. Saturday tends to be the biggest day of tournament week but sales are reportedly moving well for other days as well.

Tournament week is April 27-May 3. For ticket information, visit www.qhchampionship.com or visit the kiosk in Southpark Mall.

5. LIKE OLD TIMES

It’s still four months before the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield in Greensboro but it’s never too early to mention something new that sounds like fun.

This year, there will be an open-air party deck near the 17th green, conjuring up memories of the famously raucous 17th hole at Forest Oaks, the event’s previous site.

The new party deck will be in addition to luxury suites and premium grandstands in the same area.

Daily tickets to the 17th hole party deck are $150 and include tournament admission, lunch, snacks, soft drinks, beer and wine. For information, go to www.wyndhamchampionship.com.

6. THE PICK

I’m not exactly going out on a limb here but I don’t think Boo Weekley wins a third straight time at Harbour Town. I’m not picking Davis Love III either. All they’ve done is win seven times between them at Harbour Town.

This week, I’m picking Paul Casey. He’s so solid and knows how to work his way around a golf course where power isn’t the most important element.

My darkhorse; Brett Quigley.

7. THE ACC MEN

The Clemson Tigers are coming off one of the year’s most impressive – and chilliest – performances when they rallied from 13 strokes behind to beat a powerful field and win the U.S. Collegiate tournament in Alpharetta, Ga., last week with snow flurries during the final round.

The victory, keyed by Phillip Mollica, Kyle Stanley and Luke Hopkins, sends the Tigers into the ACC championship on a roll.

The tournament is Friday through Sunday at the Old North State Club on Badin Lake.

The Tigers are ranked fifth nationally, Georgia Tech is sixth and N.C. State 24th in the latest Golfweek rankings. Stanley, N.C. State’s Matt Hill and Florida State’s Drew Kittleson, who played in the Masters last week, are top contenders for the individual crown.

8. THE ACC WOMEN

One huge question hangs over the women’s ACC championship – can Duke win a 14th straight?

Normally, it’s a foregone conclusion. But not this year.

The Blue Devils have struggled this season and are 10th in the latest national rankings behind Virginia (fifth) and Wake Forest (seventh).

Amanda Blumenherst, who has won three straight ACC individual crowns, has played well in recent weeks and may be the key to the Blue Devils extending one of the great streaks in college athletics.

9. THE LAST WORD

“I missed the first three of my career here, ’97, 98, 99. When I finally got here for the first time, it was like what have I been doing not being here? This is awesome.” – Stewart Cink, a two-time Heritage winner, on his fondness for Harbour Town.

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