Thompson trying to overcome slow start

Heritage Notes

HILTON HEAD ISLAND — The 2008 PGA Tour season hasn't gone exactly as hoped for South Carolina graduate Kyle Thompson. Thompson, who turns 29 later this month, made it to the PGA Tour after spending five years on the Nationwide Tour.

He had two wins and finished 14th on the 2007 Nationwide money list to get his PGA Tour privileges this season, but he's missed five cuts in eight tournaments this season and is 172nd on the money list with $76,261.

As a rookie, though, he doesn't get into every tournament so on an off-week he played in a Nationwide event in Louisiana and finished second, winning $56,700 - which puts him 14th on the Nationwide money list.

"I've been working a lot with my coach, Puggy Blackmon (the director of golf at USC). We've worked a lot this year and I've really started to play better," said Thompson, noting a 15th-place finish in the PGA Tour event played in Puerto Rico.

Thompson said he doesn't feel like a rookie because of his Nationwide experience.

"I look down the range and I know 80 percent of the guys because they've come through the Nationwide Tour in the last five years," he said.

"For me, the reason I haven't played particularly well is because I haven't played particularly well. Last year on the Nationwide Tour, I missed my first six cuts and ended up having the best year of my career. I'm always kind of a slow starter."

Boo Weekley's shot

Defending champion Boo Weekley said coming back to Hilton Head for a sponsor day was good preparation for Monday's ceremonial opening of the tournament, when he hit a shot into Calibogue Sound with a wood-shafted club as a cannon was fired.

"I'm kind of glad I went there earlier this year and listened to it because it was loud," Weekley said.

He said finishing in the top 20 in his first Masters was nice, even though he shot 77 — "hockey sticks — the final day.

"I take that as a bonus, to finish in the top 20 in a major my first time," he said.

"I feel like if I can putt halfway decent on them greens, when I get here maybe I can carry that over and putt a little better this week."

Weekley was asked about his love for the outdoors and downplayed turkey hunting, calling them "chickens," and saying "you can go and get them out of the deep freezer."

Tax filing day

Thanks to Island Packet columnist David Lauderdale for the following tidbit that appeared in Tuesday's paper — April 15, tax day for those who don't make the connection. The winner of this year's Verizon Heritage will earn $990,000 before taxes. The income tax on that amount would be $415,800 — 35 percent to the federal government and seven percent for the state.

Chips shots

Alex Cejka, Steve Lowery, Steve Marino, Jeff Overton, Tag Ridings and Kevin Stadler have withdrawn from the tournament. Replacing them are Patrick Sheehan, Jon Mills, Kevin Streelman, Jin Park, Marc Turnsea and Brad Adamonis. Should anyone else WD, the remainder of the alternate list, in order, includes Brenden Pappas, Scott Sterling, Alejandro Canizares, Justin Billi and Michael Sim (he won the Nationwide Tour event held at Daniel Island)...The long-range weather forecast for this week calls for highs Thursday through Sunday in the mid-70s. There's a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms by later afternoon on Saturday...Masters champion Trevor Immelman is not in the field this week, meaning Bernhard Langer will remain the last player to win the week after winning the Masters. Langer won the 1985 Masters and Heritage. The closest anyone has come since was Vijay Singh, who won the 2000 Masters and finished in a tie for third that year at the Heritage.

-- Tommy Braswell