Throughout his long PGA Tour career that began in 2002, Boo Weekley racked up a slew of accolades, all the while winning fans with his laid-back style.
Weekley captured three PGA Tour victories from 2007-2013, and he was part of the winning American team at the 2008 Ryder Cup.
With that kind of resume, you’d think Weekley would know how good golf was from a young age. But you would be wrong.
During a recent round with GOLF’s Josh Sens, Weekley revealed the surprisingly late moment when he finally knew he was good enough to play on the PGA Tour.
Boo Weekley turned pro before he knew he was a good golfer
Weekley hails from Milton, Fla., and although he later became a PGA Tour-winner pro, golf wasn’t always on his radar.
IN Punta Mita Invitation — an exclusive event set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most scenic golf destinations — Weekley played alongside Sens, a senior GOLF writer, with the cameras rolling.
When the Sens asked Weekley when he first knew he could hang out with professional players, Weekley gave a shocking answer.
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“I would say…” Weekley began, before pausing to think, “when I turned pro.”
He then went into more detail, explaining that while he knew he could play, it took playing mini golf tournaments to make him realize he could hang with golf’s best.
“I knew I could hit it, but I didn’t think I was good enough to play real professional golf or anything like that,” Weekley revealed. “So I went out and started playing mini-tours… and the next thing I know I kind of made it.”
And golf wasn’t always a priority for the three-time tournament winner in his youth.
“I quit golf for about three years, more or less. My mom kind of got me into it. I’d be done with no sports. I was playing baseball, football, all the normal stuff,” Weekley explained. “It just got to a point where I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to do something.’ Dad said, ‘You’re not going to lay around the house, son, you know what I mean?’
So Weekley did just that, playing mini golf from 1997-2002, when he finally earned his PGA Tour card for the first time. Five years later, he was a PGA Tour champion.
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