Weekley leads local golfers at PGA

Boo Weekley is tied for 35th place after the first day of play at the PGA Championship.

This year's championship is being decided at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., but for the Milton grad there is much more on the line this weekend.

Weekley carded a two-over par 72 for his opening round and is currently tied with John Mallinger, D.J. Trahan, Paul Casey, Paul Azinger, David Toms, Charles Howell III, Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini, John Merrick, Mike Weir, James Kingston, and Dean Wilson.

Weekley, who currently resides in Jay, Fla., played even par on the front nine, but struggled with three bogeys on he back nine at Nos. 14, 16, and 17 before carding a birdie at 18 as he is four shots behind the leaders.

Depending on his finish this weekend, Weekley could be named to the U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

Weekley is currently seventh in the U.S. Ryder Cup Standings with 2,627.3 points and just over 24 points ahead of Steve Stricker who would be the last player to qualify.

This year’s Ryder Cup will be decided Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

The team will be named following Sunday’s final round this weekend at Oakland Hills.

Azinger, the U.S. Captain and 1993 PGA Champion, will take the top eight in U.S. Ryder Cup Standing along with four selections of his own.

The Americans have suffered three successive defeats to Europe in the biennial team competition, losing the last two by a reocord-squalling margin of 18-1/2 points to 9-1/2.

The six leading players to make the Ryder Cup since Tiger Woods has been sidelined with an injury are Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, and Justin Leonard.

Former Milton Panther Heath Slocum found himself six shots off the leaders as he carded a four-over par 74 which leaves him in a tie for 62nd place overall.

Tied with Slocum are Paul Goydos, Daniel Chopra, Camilo Villegas, Peter Lonard, Graeme McDowell, Leonard, Nick O'Hern, Steve Lowery, Tim Weinhart, Tom Lehman, John Daly, Mark Brooks, Ian Poulter, and Alan Morin.

After a birdie on the first hole Slocum struggled at Oakland Hills as he finished the front nine at five-over par with bogies on Nos. 2, 4, 6, 7, and a double bogey on No. 5.

Bubba Watson, who just hosted the Divot Derby is currently tied for 77th place at five-over par.

Watson carded bogeys on Nos. 1, 9, 11, 12, and 18.

Tied with Watson are Don Yrene, Corey Pavin, Richard Johnson, Cink, Martin Kaymer, Darren Clarke, Fredrik Jacobson, Soren Kjeldsen, Bob Tway, Anders Hansen, Chris DiMarco, John Senden, Tom Pernice, Jr., and Ben Crane.

Crane, Pernice, and Senden were still on the course when the horn sounded to stop play Thursday.

The PGA Championship is currently being led by Robert Karlsson, Jeev Milkha Singh, and Andres Romero  who all are at 2-under par.

Romero will complete his round later today before second round play gets underway.