Week 15 Approach Shots: Verizon Heritage

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GOING FOR A HAT TRICK: In the last two seasons, Boo Weekley has made himself at home at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C. In 2007, Weekley battled Ernie Els down the stretch to win the Verizon Heritage by a stroke. It was Weekley's first PGA TOUR title. The following year, Weekley became the first player since Davis Love III (1991-92) to successfully defend his Verizon Heritage title when he defeated Aaron Baddeley and Anthony Kim by three strokes.

Quick Facts

WHAT: 17th of 37 regular-season PGA TOUR events WHEN: April 16-19 WHERE: Hilton Head Island, S.C. COURSE: Harbour Town Golf Links TV: 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET, Thurs.-Fri.; 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET,Sat.-Sun. on GOLF CHANNEL; 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. on CBS RADIO: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET Thurs.-Sun., PGA TOUR Network (XM 146/SIRIUS 209) WHAT'S AT STAKE: $5,700,000 purse ($1,026,000 for winner) FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner KEY LINKS: Tee times | Leaderboard SHOT TRACKER | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

This week, Weekley will try to add a third tartan jacket to his closet when he defends those titles. The tournament has presented the unique jacket to each winner of this event since 1969. Besides the clothing, the winner will also earn 500 FedExCup points.

Weekley missed the cut at the Masters Tournament, the first time he has not played on the weekend in 2009. He is 81st in the FedExCup standings and enjoyed his best finish -- a tie for ninth -- at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

PLAYER NOTES: Jim Furyk will be making his 11th career start at the Verizon Heritage, with eight made cuts, four top-10 finishes and more than $1.3 million in career earnings. He has posted five top-15 finishes in his last six starts at the tournament: A tie for 15th in 2002, a tie for 10th in 2003, a tie for second in 2005, a solo second-place showing in 2006, a missed cut in 2007 and a fourth-place finish in 2008. ...

This is the 41st Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, which is widely regarded as one of the most popular stops on TOUR. Harbour Town Golf Links, one of Pete Dye's signature designs, is annually ranked among the country's top courses and has produced a winner's roster that includes inaugural winner Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Davis Love III, Greg Norman and Nick Price. ...

After missing the cut in his inaugural appearance in 2001, 2006 champion Aaron Baddeley has reeled off three straight top-10 finishes at the Heritage (won in 2006, tied for 10th in 2007 and tied for second in 2008). The runner-up finish in 2008 was the fourth of his career and first since he tied for second at the 2007 BMW Championship. ...

Weekley's win in 2007 made him the 10th first-time winner in Verizon Heritage history. The list includes Hale Irwin (1971), Graham Marsh (1977), Doug Tewell (1980), Nick Faldo (1984), Love III (1987), Glen Day (1999), Jose Coceres (2001), Peter Lonard (2005), Baddeley (2006) and Weekley (2007).

The defending champion will be looking to keep a 15-year streak intact. No defending champion has missed the cut at the Verizon Heritage since Davis Love III in 1993. ...

The Verizon Heritage has been won by a player age 40 or older five times, including Palmer (40 years, 2 months, 20 days) , Bob Goalby (1970; 41 years, 8 months, 15 days), Irwin (1994; 48 years, 10 months, 14 days), Loren Roberts (1996; 40 years, 9 months, 27 days) and Price (1997; 40 years, 10 months, 22 days). The youngest winner in Verizon Heritage history is Love. He was 23 years, 6 days when he won the first of his five titles, in 1987.

Seven players (nine times) have won the Verizon Heritage with four rounds in the 60s, including Faldo (1984), Payne Stewart 1989), Irwin (1994), Roberts (1996), Price (1997), Love (1992, 1998, 2003) and Weekley (2007).

A player has posted four rounds in the 60s 23 times in the history of the Verizon Heritage, with Baddeley (69-67-67-69) and Furyk (68-68-68-69), both in 2008, the most recent to do so. Price holds the tournament record with nine consecutive sub-70 rounds. ...

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens is on the scene in Hiton Head Island for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Stevens:

Harbour Town Golf Links might be in its best shape ever; at least that's the opinion of a guy who ought to know -- course designer Pete Dye. He played in the pro-am with his wife and co-designer Alice.

Jim Furyk, who has had two seconds and a fourth here the last four years, loves how the wind plays tricks with a golfer's mind. He says "You know you're going to have a 15mph wind on 16, 17 and 18, but the other 15 holes, you're kind of in a tunnel. And yet you're always looking to see if there is a breeze coming off the Calibogue Sound."

The weather is just absolutely spectacular. They had 2.5 inches of rain on monday night, so the course is fairly soft. The fairways are fairly soft, the greens are firming up and the weather is supposed to be spectacular all weekend. The high today was about 70. It is supposed to be in the low 70s tomorrow and Friday, moving up towards the high 70s by Sunday. There are already boats anchored out in the sound. Usually you don't get those till the weekend.

Weather forecast for the Verizon Heritage

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Mostly sunny Temp: 69 high/50 low Mostly sunny Temp: 71 high/52 low Partly cloudy Temp: 74 high/57 low Cloudy Temp: 74 high/62 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

Verizon Heritage snippets

Local favorite: Columbia, S.C., native and Coastal Carolina University standout Dustin Johnson looking to redeem himself after missing the cut (79-79) in his inaugural Harbour Town start last year. At the age of 24, he has two TOUR wins and is 10th in FedExCup standings. Gone green: The Tournament is recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles with the help of Coca-Cola. Volunteers from Bluffton High School's football team will be picking up the recycling and trash. Heritage has also partnered with Palmetto Electric and Santee Cooper to use only renewable energy to power the event. Tartan Day: Wear your best tartan plaid for a chance to win two Clubhouse Badges. The Verizon Heritage wants you to show your spirit by wearing your tartan. Stop by the tent at the main tournament entrance right next to the clubhouse to have your picture taken. Boy wonder: 19-year-old Rory McIlroy is making his Verizon Heritage debut this week. The young star from Northern Ireland has done well in the U.S. this season with a T5 at Match Play, T13 at The Honda Classic, T20 at Doral and T19 in Houston.

In the spotlight

This week: Boo Weekley

Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM will spotlight one key player in the field. For this week's Verizon Heritage, it's two-time defending champion Boo Weekley. Learn more about Boo

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 and 2011 • 500 FedExCup points • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2009 PLAYERS Championship, '09 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, '09 Memorial Tournament, '09 AT&T National, '09 World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational, '09 PGA Championship, 2010 Mercedes-Benz Championship and '10 Masters • If a U.S. player: 2,052,000 points towards making the 2009 Presidents Cup team. • If it is a second victory for a player since last June 4, a spot in the U.S. Open

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 452-yard 18th at Harbour Town Golf Links LAST YEAR: The 18th played to a stroke average of 4.083, with players recording 0 eagles, 56 birdies, 280 pars, 59 bogeys and 11 double bogeys. DESCRIPTION: In this emerald-hued finale, the famous lighthouse becomes a beacon to landlubbers. A successful shot is one aimed toward the cherished landmark. The goal is the wide landing area jutting into Calibogue Sound. A word of advice on one of golf's most spectacular finishing holes: The long approach to the flag offers ample bailout to the right where the innocent-looking but insidious mounding has caused many a wannabe champ to lose a sought-after par. (Click here for Harbour Town tour)