Thomas Brent Weekley told Golf Night that the noise of booing on the course is music to his ears.

The American, more commonly known as ‘Boo’, usually walks the fairways with the sound ringing in his ears and admits the expression of support inspired him during last September’s Ryder Cup.

Weekley famously galloped from the first tee at Valhalla in Kentucky Derby-style before the USA charged to a 16½-11½ victory over Europe and says the home fans shouts of ‘Boo, boo, boo’ heightened what was an already emotional week.

“It’s exciting to hear,” said Weekley, who is currently playing in the Qatar Masters in Doha after taking up European Tour membership. “It just kept me pumped up (at the Ryder Cup); it made me feel good to have that much support behind me.

“I took it all in, all of my emotions stayed with me until I got home on the following week on Monday and then when I got home I went up to my room and was finally by myself and I cried for about an hour-and-a-half. All of the emotion finally came out.

“My wife and I got invited (to the White House) – we went with a couple of other guys and it was fun times standing there with George Bush. I was more nervous at the White House (than the Ryder Cup)!”

Explaining how his unconventional behaviour on the first tee in Louisville came about, Weekley added: “I was talking to two of the police officers who were watching our rooms at a motel and ‘Happy Gilmour’ was on TV and I said ‘I’m going to do that’.

“Then I stood on the first tee, took my practice swing and I looked up and it hit me ‘this is what I’m going to do if I can get it over that tree right there with this driver I’m going to ride it out of here’!”

Fix the fighting

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Unperturbed, Golf Night‘s Wayne Riley stepped up to ask Milton-born Weekley, whose nickname comes from Boo Boo Bear – the best friend of cartoon character Yogi Bear – about how he spends his time away from the course.

WR: What is a perfect day in the life of Boo Weekley?

BW:Get up about 3.30am in the morning and get in the woods (to hunt) about 5am up until about 8.30/9am; if it warms up I’d go fishing for a little while and then go back hunting about 2.30pm or 3pm. I don’t keep it unless I have shot it and I don’t shoot it unless I am going to eat it. I was about six or seven when I learnt to fish and started shooting things.

WR: What do you make of Barack Obama becoming President of the US?

BW: I think we are in for a change; it might be for the good. I just hope we don’t have a lot of racial things coming out of it. I hope we keep our cool on both sides of the fence.

WR: What’s the one thing that you would change if you were President?

BW: I’d try to fix all of the fighting, man, I think the whole country is tired of fighting. You have to stand up when you think things are wrong but at the same time you need to fix the problem.

WR:Are you looking forward to the Race to Dubai?

BW: Yes I’m pretty into it even though I don’t quite get the concept yet but I’m pretty interested in seeing how it’s going to turn out.

(Source: www.skysports.com)