Hilton Head Monthly Magazine

Splendid setting, well-heeled crowd make for a must-see and be-seen event.

TWENTY YEARS AGO LEGENDARY BASKETBALL coach and master motivator Pat Riley actually trademarked the term “three-peat.” He did so hoping his 1989 L.A. Laker team could win their third consecutive NBA title, though it never came to pass. Likewise, the late Payne Stewart had a chance to “three-peat” at Harbour Town in 1991. He was the first PGA Tour player to win back-to-back  titles at what was then known as the MCI Heritage Classic in ’89 and ‘90, but that year Stewart finished tied for fourth. Davis Love III won the event in ’91 and ’92, but his “three-peat” was likewise thwarted in ’93, as he missed the cut. This brings us to Boo Weekley, the tournament’s two-time defending champion, who later this month will attempt to go where no pro golfer has ever gone before at beautiful Harbour Town Golf Links — win a third consecutive title.

Weekley, who besides his Sea Pines successes has never won elsewhere on Tour, is an interesting character. A self-described “redneck” from a small panhandle town called Milton, Fla., he’s truly passionate about hunting and fishing — golf is just his way of earning a (handsome) living. His debut on Tour back in 2002 was a disaster.

He got plenty of media attention for always wearing rain pants no matter how fine the weather, claiming that normal slacks were rash-inducing. He failed to make the cut about 80 percent of the time though, and seemed like a “here and gone” character, a one-year cameo and a real Tour misfit who wouldn’t be heard from again.

Weekley resurfaced on Tour five years later a more complete player, and more importantly, a dazzlingly colorful figure in a pro game that is far too beige. Because golf at the highest level is such a solitary endeavor, far too many Tour pros are stoic automatons, unwilling or unable to show much personality. Only those closest to him can say if Weekley is mostly hick or mostly shtick, but what matters is that he stands out from the crowd so prominently — an exuberant Jethro Bo-dine archetype while his Tour compatriots are mostly buttoned-down like Mr. Drysdale.

Of course, there’s far more to enjoying the tournament than watching the superb ball striking of Boo Weekley. For that matter, non-golfers who can’t tell a driver from a divot can have a great time at the event, as despite the world-class field of participants, it’s a tremendously entertaining spectacle outside the fairway ropes.

Harbour Town is one of the most charming and attractive way stations of the 40-plus destinations the PGA Tour visits every year. The sparkling waters of the Calibogue Sound, the unmistakable candy-striped lighthouse, the incredible yacht basin full of million-dollar vessels are all part of the eye appeal. But above and beyond the lush landscape it’s the people-watching that truly sets this event apart. Hilton Head in springtime, particularly in balmy weather, brings out the beautiful people. Golf is undoubtedly the main event, and the reason for gathering. But to see and be seen certainly runs a close second.