Boo Weekley providing comic relief for US

The Americans may have found their Ryder Cup counterpart to Sergio Garcia, joker of the European team, in rustic outdoorsman Boo Weekley and his tension-breaking sense of humor.

Weekley is one of six rookies on the 12-man U.S. team and the 35-year-old Floridian is already making his presence felt at the competition that begins at Valhalla on Friday.

“Boo is a lot of fun,” Steve Stricker, another Ryder debutant, told reporters on Wednesday. “He provides that laughter and comic relief when we need it at times. It’s been fun.”

Weekley has quickly become an adopted son of the galleries with his easy-going style and homespun humor, and tickled reporters with his fashion views.

“I can tell you right now these pants I’ve got on are probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever owned, this pair of pants,” he said.

“These things here, they felt like a pair of silk underwear when you’re getting ready to go hunting. They’re unreal.”

Galleries lining the fairways at the Louisville layout have boisterously cheered on Kentuckians Kenny Perry and JB Holmes with Weekley rating close behind during practice rounds.

“I felt a lot of love. My finger feels it, too,” Weekley said. “I’ve got a blister on it from where I signed so many autographs.”

Weekley said a little levity helped keep the Americans loose in their quest to end a string of three successive losses to the Europeans.

“It ain’t going to hurt,” he said. “It never hurts to laugh. You should always laugh at least once or twice a day. I laughed halfway around the golf course today.”

Weekley said filling the underdog role against Europe, led by Garcia, British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, did not bother him.

“That’s all on paper that we’re underdogs. You don’t know what you’ve got until you get out there and play with it,” he said.

“It’s like getting a new pack of hounds when we were growing up and going deer hunting. You don’t know what kind of dogs you’ve got until you run them, so let’s run them and we’ll see.”

Some off the course activities, however, did not amuse Weekley, who had a dim view of having to put on a tuxedo for the pre-tournament gala on Thursday night.

“I’m going to feel like I’m all up in a straitjacket, I reckon,” he said. “I don’t wear them much. Not at all, actually, to tell you the truth.”