Random observations from the Verizon Heritage on Wednesday:
1. Don't expect someone to yell "fore," even if a golf ball is about to hit you in the head. Saw a couple close calls today, mainly a result of the amateurs on the course.
2. Boo Weekley has a big ... gallery. It's not hard to find the back-to-back Heritage winner. Just follow the people who yell out, "I came to see you, champ!"
Sports editor Lance Hanlin has taken over Jeff Kidd's former duty of picking Ten Who Can Win, and he really went out on a limb with his No. 1 spot, taking two-time defending champ Boo Weekley to make it three in a row.
I'm going to be a little more bold with my picks. Sure, there are nine former Heritage champs in the field, and I expect usual suspects such as Weekley, Aaron Baddeley, Stewart Cink and Davis Love III to be in the mix, but I think we're going to have a new champ this year.
So, without further ado, here is my list of "Ten Who Can Win" this week:
If you're not at Harbour Town Golf Links today -- why? No, seriously, if you have tickets and you're not here, conjure up a nasty sounding cough for your boss, take the rest of the day off and get out here. The weather is absolutely perfect, and pro-am day is always a fun day to be here. It's the last chance to see the pros in a more laid-back format before the real competition begins, and guys like Steve Spurrier are usually pretty entertaining, as well.
Maybe it's just that I've been through this rodeo three previous times, but things seemed a bit more tame than I remember at Harbour Town Golf Links today. Reporter Sam McDowell and I went out and walked most of the back nine looking for standing water this afternoon, and we found surprisingly little water and surprisingly few people.
The flat-screen television in Verizon Heritage tournament director Steve Wilmot's office is permanently tuned to The Weather Channel these days.
And the prognosis is good.
Forecasts call for generally sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. Sounds like good $9 gin-and-tonic weather, if you ask me.
Weather can make or break a Heritage.
On Tuesday, crowds started out light for the second day of practice rounds, but began to pick up in the afternoon once the sun peaked through the clouds.
You know it's Heritage week when the guard at the front gate to Sea Pines is wearing full-blown Scottish regalia. The optimist in me hopes he gets tossed a few more bucks for that.
Hopefully, the powers that be at The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette don't get any ideas ... although sports reporter Justin Jarrett could probably pull off a kilt, and sell some subscriptions while he's at it.
It seems someone is looking out for the Verizon Heritage. I drove through rain all the way to Hilton Head Island this morning, and I was certain the opening ceremonies for the 41st annual installment of the PGA Tour event would be washed out.
But barely a drop of rain hit the ground at Harbour Town Golf Links, as two-time defending Heritage champion Boo Weekley picked up his hardware (a second tartan jacket and another trophy bearing the gentleman golfer), rode an old-school hickory driver across the 18th fairway like a stick horse, then used that same club to knock the ceremonial opening tee shot into the Calibogue Sound — and away we go.
Saturday was "moving day" at the Masters, and for some big names that meant time to move on to the Verizon Heritage. As a matter of fact, it seems it was a bad week for a number of Heritage regulars.
