Interviewed By Matt Ginella
Illustration By Christoph Niemann March 2009

Thomas “Boo” Weekley, 35, lives in Jay, Fla. He has two wins on the PGA Tour (both at the Verizon Heritage) and had a 2-0-1 record at the 2008 Ryder Cup, which he discussed at his appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. (Interviewed on Dec. 10, 2008.)

Do you ever take an annual golf buddies trip?
No. Not golf. No golfing. Usually if I’m going buddy/buddy, it’s to go hunting and fishing.

Let’s get into hunting. Where is your favorite destination?
It just all depends. We hunt in Florida, where I live in Jay. I hunt in Alabama a little bit, on my uncle’s land. I go to Illinois and hunt with some friends up there. I hunt in Mississippi and Missouri.

In terms of getting hunting tags, how does that happen?
I got a buddy of mine, kind of my right-hand hunting man down at the house who handles all of my tags. He has all my information. He has everything that I need.

In 2008, how much hunting did you do?
I went to Missouri. I did an outing in Missouri, and when I got done I went up and hunted with my buddy there. That was in Poplar Bluff. As soon as I left there I went to Illinois and hunted in Illinois for three days. And then I left and went back home.

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Monte Burke, 03.25.09, 06:00 PM EDT
Forbes Magazine dated April 13, 2009

Salt-of-the-earth Boo Weekley is exactly the kind of player the PGA Tour needs to get it through the recession.

It’s impossible to tell the story of professional golfer Thomas Brent (Boo) Weekley without bringing up the orangutan. When Weekley was 15 he and some friends went to a county fair near Milton, Weekley’s hometown on the Florida Panhandle. A man at the fair had an orangutan in a cage and was offering $50 to anyone who could lay a hand on the ape. Weekley jumped in the cage. “The next thing I remember I was in the back of my buddy’s pickup truck, bleeding,” he says.

This type of thing never happened during the childhood of Tiger Woods, who was groomed from birth to become the greatest golfer in the world. Weekley wasn’t supposed to be a PGA Tour golfer (even though his Milton high school has miraculously produced three of them). He’ll tell anyone within earshot that he’d rather be bass fishing than taking a stroll down the fairways of Augusta National. He likes beer in cans and eats at Hooters. He flunked out of college after one year. He cleaned chemical tanks during 12-hour shifts at a Monsanto (nyse: MON - news - people ) factory until he got laid off. When he finally gained entrance to the PGA Tour in 2002 he flunked out of that, too, and nearly gave up on the game. “I took golf for granted for a long time,” he says.

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We at www.booweekley.com caught up with Boo’s caddie Joe Pyland for a little Q&A session that many of you have been requesting for a while. Joe called us from Orlando while he was working on this course for this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

Booweekley.com(BW):Thanks for joining us here on www.booweekley.com for this Q&A session Joe.

Joe Pyland (JP): No problem.

BW: We know you are busy so let’s get started….2009 started off good for you guys with both a top 10 and a top 20 in Hawaii. After those successes ya’ll headed halfway across the world to compete in Quatar. Boo didn’t make the cut there. How do you think that extreme travel affected Boo’s play?

JP: Man we were definitely jet-lagged…we didn’t get there til Tuesday night and we normally arrive at a tournament Sunday night or Monday morning so that was a big change. Plus we arrived there and lost a day so we were really screwed up on the time thing. It took us quiet some time even after we left to get our times straight. In this case I would say yes it affected us but it was a great experience all the same.

BW: Boo took a month off and did some appearance things and other events. How did you spend your time off?

JP: Well, I played a lot of golf. Took the time to hang out with my family and friends. I stayed around the house for the most part.

BW: Now that you guys are back in the grind we see that you are playing 12 events in 13 weeks. That is a long stretch even for the most seasoned veteran. How do you get in a routine that makes sense and keeps each week situated to getting ready?

JP:I try to keep our schedule the same…Monday is considered our day off but what this translates to is we go out there and take it easy. I use Monday to scope out the course and make sure there aren’t any significant changes to the layout then we go out and just take it easy. Remember it is our “off day”. Tuesday is practice and then Wednesday we normally have a Pro-Am. Thursday starts competition. We played several tournaments in a row on the Nationwide Tour and it didn’t affect us so I know this won’t.

BW: What is the part of your job that you enjoy most?

JP: I just enjoy being out on the golf course playing well and competing in tournaments. It’s the competition that I really love. I love us being in the hunt and making the shot. I get excited about competing.

BW: When you and Boo are out on the course what do you guys talk about?

JP:  Well, obviously we talk about the golf. I mean we discuss each shot and how to approach the shots. The main part of those discussions are the hazards and where we don’t want to be on the green. We always discuss how to stay away from trouble. But I mean we talk about other stuff…(laughs) football, basketball and stuff like that. Boo is calm on the course I would say 90% of the time so its just like any time you would be talking to him except we are at work so obviously we talk more about work.

BW: It has been said that since you started carrying Boo’s bag his game elevated. What do you think has been the key you brought that helped unlock this rise in his game?

JP: Well, I always try to work hard. I have a military background so I like things structured and I try to bring that work ethic to the table every day. I always want us to be prepared and that we are ready for the course in front of us. I don’t want Boo to ever get out there and we not know everything we can know to be ready.

BW: What is your favorite course on tour?

JP: Hands down Augusta National.

BW: It’s unusual for a caddie to say that being that Augusta is known to be one of the toughest to work.

JP: Sure it’s a tough course but the history that exists there and being given the opportunity to work it… Man, there’s nothing like it and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

BW: If you could have a dream golf outing who would be in your group?

JP:  Boo, my brother, myself and Jack Nicklaus. That would be the group I would love to play 18 with no doubt.

BW:Joe thank you  so much for taking time out of your day to speak with us. Good Luck this week at Bayhill!

JP: No problem. I enjoyed it and thanks I’m looking forward to this week!

Joe Pyland is a PGA TOUR caddie from Milton, Florida. He served eight years in the Army with two tours in Iraq. He has been carrying Boo Weekley’s bag since 2006.

Today Boo started out with a birdie on Hole #1.

Hole #4 didn’t workout so well as Boo double bogeyed to make his overall +1.

Hole #5 was another bogey which brought the overall score to +2.

Hole #7 Boo got there in 3 shots making a birdie and taking his overall score back to +1 over par.

Through 10 Boo is currently +1 and T38.

UPDATES TO FOLLOW

Hole #11 brought a birdie with a 10 foot putt. Boo’s overall is now EVEN and T32.

Boo double bogeyed hole #13 to bring overall to +2 and T42.

After bogeying holes #15 and 16, Boo’s overall at +4 and T47.

Boo ended the day +5 and currently T53.

Next up for Boo is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bayhill. Please check back with www.booweekley.com for the latest news on Boo and the upcoming tournament in Orlando.

Boo started this morning out on hole #1 with a birdie which brought his overall to EVEN. He has been getting through with par this round until a moment ago on 16 he three-putted the green for a bogey. This has brought his overall back to +1. Two more holes to go today……

Boo ended the day with a birdie on 18 to end Round 3 -1 under par. At this point Boo is tied overall for 41st with an EVEN overall.

UPDATES TO FOLLOW

MORE ON THE FIRST HOLE; BOO FIGHTING TO MAKE CUT (5:10 p.m.) — With the field finishing up the second round, we just noticed that the first hole has only given up two eagles in the first two days, and neither one of them were by players who hit the green in two. As we noted earlier, both Charles Howell and Stuart Appleby holed out from off the green.

Boo Weekley just came through the first hole, and he must have known that was sitting right on the cut line. Weekley went for the green on his second shot and nailed it to 10 feet from 248 yards out, but he missed the putt.

Weekley is one over for the tournament and needs to get back to even par to ensure playing on the weekend. Boo is one of the best ballstrikers on TOUR, but for whatever reason, he has not been comfortable at Copperhead, which is practically a home game for the Jay, Fla. resident, who lives several hours away in the Florida Panhandle. Weekley missed the cut here in both 2007 and 2008.

Compliments of www.pgatour.com

Through 2 holes Boo is now -1 under par during Round 2 action. Boo began the day on hole #10 at 1:33pm EST.

Through 6 holes Boo is now back to EVEN par after a bogey on hole #12.

Boo ends the day at +1 over par ending the round with a birdie on 9.

UPDATES WILL BE POSTED REGULARLY

DORAL, Fla. — It isn’t all about the golf on Saturday at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship.

The third round at Doral is also Military Appreciation Day, which includes a Navy Jet flyover, multi-service color guard and the Navy Women’s Glee Club singing the National Anthem.

Along with Saturday’s day of appreciation, active military, guard, reserves, retirees and their immediate families are receiving complimentary admission for all days of the championship.

In the Doral clubhouse, there’s a designated area called the “Patriots’ Outpost” which serves as a hospitality room for members of the military. Along with food and drinks, guests in the room were getting visits by players, including Boo Weekley and Davis Love III.

The corner of the room had a television and satellite feed set up with soliders stationed in Germany to play head-to-head against Weekley and Love in the latest Tiger Woods video game.

Needless to say, Weekley and Love weren’t nearly as good at the game as they are at the real thing.

Weekley, in fact, resorted to the desperate measure of heckling a solider over his headphones by calling out, “Noonan!” like in the movie Caddyshack during short putts.

Love wasn’t much better when he took over and admitted as much by saying, “I’ll bet I’m even worse than Boo at this.”

When they were done playing, Weekley and Love both posed for pictures, signed autographs and engaged in conversations.

“It’s not about wanting to support them, we have to support them,” Weekley said. “They do so much for us, protecting our freedom here. It’s the American way. I can’t thank them enough for what they do and I pray every day that they get their job done and come home safely.”

Love, who said he has visited the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., a few times, was also happy to give a few minutes of his time.

“It’s heart warming each and every time you’re able to meet the people who are working so hard to keep you safe,” Love said. “And despite what we see in the news so often, they know they’re doing a great job overseas and they want to be there serving our country. They need to know we appreciate the sacrafices they make being away from their families.”

DORAL, FL - MARCH 14: Boo Weekley signs a banner for family members of the military after the third round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship held at Doral Golf Resort and Spa on March 14, 2009 in Doral, Florida. This was part of the Military Appreciation Day provided by the PGA TOUR Birdies for the Brave.(Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

Today started regular play for the Transitions Championship being played at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. Boo is paired with Johnson Wagner and Marc Turnesa.

After bogeying the last two holes, Boo ended up EVEN for the day and will tee off with his same group tomorrow at 1:33pm EST.

UPDATES TO COME

Weekley, Slocum tied for 50th at Transitions Championship

compliments of the Associated Press

After a late start to the year, Jim Furyk might be getting up to speed.

Furyk made two long birdie putts and was equally thrilled with a 10-foot par save on his final hole Thursday, which gave him a 6-under 65 in the Transitions Championship. It was the first time he has held the outright lead since his last PGA Tour victory 20 months ago.

Stephen Ames was one shot behind after a 66 on a Copperhead Course that was demanding as ever, but one he enjoys more than the Blue Monster last week at Doral.

The group at 67 included Kenny Perry, who sandwiched birdies on the tough 16th and 18th holes around his only bogey on the round. The 48-year-old Perry is playing his eighth event of the year and is worn out. Innisbrook is not exactly a working vacation.

All four Pensacola area players are in this event. Milton High grads Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum both shot an even-par 71 and are tied for 50th. Fellow Milton grad Bubba Watson and Pensacola’s Joe Durant both shot 2-over 73 and are tied for 99th position.