| American Weekley seeks to defend Heritage title
American Boo Weekley, who grabbed his first USPGA Tour title at this event last year, returns to defend his crown at the Verizon Heritage which begins on Thursday.
Weekley won last year by firing a 14-under-par 270 to edge South African Ernie Els by one shot.
Entering the event this week, Weekley has three top-10 finishes in 11 events in 2008.
He was in contention at The Masters last week before a final-round five-over 77 led to a 20th-place finish.
"I feel like if I can putt halfway decent on them greens, when I get here maybe I can carry that over and putt a little better here this week," Weekley said.
A runner-up here in 2005 and 2006, American Jim Furyk indicated there is an adjustment from the courses from last week at Augusta (7,445 yards) to the shorter Harbour Town Golf Links (6,913).
"It's more of a challenge to adjust than people might think," Furyk said.
Weekley will be trying to keep a streak intact this week as no defending champion has missed the cut at this event since Davis Love in 1993.
A five-time winner at the Harbour Town Golf Links, Love returns to the event this week.
Els, who missed the cut at The Masters, will try to turn things around this week. He has one win this season but also has missed two cuts in five overall events.
"I've been working a little bit with (coach) Butch Harmon," said Els, of Johannesburg.
"Obviously it wasn't great timing, starting to work with him just before the Masters. But I really kind of lost my swing a little bit after the Honda Classic and I needed to do something. I wanted to go his route."
Also in the field are Stewart Cink and Brandt Snedeker - a pair of players who were near the top of the leaderboard last week in Augusta.
Cink and Snedeker tied for third, four shots behind winner South African Trevor Immelman, who is not entered. |