Sports

Move Over Happy Gilmore, Here Comes Boo Weekley

by Jon Azpiri | September 22, 2008 at 11:35 am

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One of the unlikely heroes of this weekend's Ryder Cup was Boo Weekley, a 35-year-old Floridian who has earned a reputation as a real-life version of Happy Gilmore, the fictional hockey-player turned golfer made famous by Adam Sandler in the film of the same name.

His levity energized the gallery — now known as ''Boo Birds'' — and his teammates. After his tee shot Sunday on No. 1, Weekley galloped like a horse down the first fairway, a bit from the movie Happy Gilmore. He did it again in the victory celebration, romping on a practice green.

Along with a goofy nickname, Boo and Happy share something else--a love of fisticuffs. Gilmore famously fought Price is Right host Bob Barker. Weekley, on the other hand, once got knocked out in a fight with an orangutan at a county fair. That's not the only fight he got into with an animal.

Weekley famously grew up wrestling alligators off his grandmother's porch in the Florida panhandle. The US have long needed a few guys willing to get their hands dirty grappling with a nasty task.

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susangail94

at 16:26 on September 23rd, 2008

Boo Weekley was a hoot. He really got the crowd going everyday of the Ryder Cup. Along with the other rookies who played, it was like a breath of fresh air. The Euros had Leprachauns singing Ole Ole but we had Booooooo!

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