The world’s top golfers scattered across the world this Memorial Day Weekend, as some stayed Stateside, some ventured to England, and some probably threw barbeques at home. Here’s what you may have missed while you were out golfing or grilling burgers:
Boo Likes Him Some Plaid
When a plaid jacket is on the line, Boo Weekley steps up his ball striking. The 35-year-old veteran, who relishes the fans’ boos, shot a 4-under 66 in Sunday’s final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to edge Matt Kuchar by a stroke. In addition to a $1.152 million paycheck – more than he’d earned in 14 previous PGA Tour starts this season – Weekley walked with a Scottish royal tartan plaid jacket. His only other PGA wins came in 2007 and ’08 at the Verizon Heritage, which honors its victors with a Heritage plaid jacket:
Good Starts Means Little
At The Players Championship, Roberto Castro opened with a 5-under-par 63; he didn’t go under 71 the next three days and finished T19. A week later at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Keegan Bradley fired a first-round 60 – a TPC Four Seasons Resort course record – then didn’t get within eight strokes of that number the rest of the weekend and finished runner-up. This week at Colonial, Ryan Palmer worked his way to an 8-under 62 like he was playing in his backyard. It was, in fact, his home course, but it didn’t appear that way Friday and Saturday, when he carded 72 and 71, respectively. His 67 on Sunday was more like it, but brought him up to only T14.
European Stars Struggle In England
For golf fans owning weekend passes to the BMW PGA Championship on the outskirts of London, they were massively disappointed. Four of the world’s top seven players teed off Thursday, but only one did over the weekend: Justin Rose. And he finished T50 with a 1-over 289. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 7 Graeme McDowell each shot 5-over in the first two rounds and failed to make the cut, as did No. 6 Luke Donald with his 6-over. That opened the way for 20-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero to become the youngest BMW PGA champ in the tournament’s 58-year history. He bested England’s Simon Khan on the fourth playoff hole.
VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND – MAY 26: Caddy David McNeilly and Matteo Manassero of Italy celebrate with the trophy after winning the BMW PGA Championship on the West Course at Wentworth on May 26, 2013 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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